5 Step Sisters Vol. 2 Chapter 6

The Song that Reaches the Stars

Saturday, June 7th. The day of the cultural festival.

The news had reported that the Tokai region was about to enter the rainy season, so I was worried, but thankfully it had been clear and sunny since morning.

The opening ceremony in the gymnasium ended smoothly, and Class 2-A's "Imouto × Otouto Cafe" was about to open for its one day only run.

The room was decorated with colorful balloons and paper ring garlands made of origami. Brightly colored fabrics were draped across the walls. The pushed-together tables were covered with tablecloths, which helped reduce the cheap feel. Even though most of the materials were bought at a 100-yen shop, thanks to everyone's hard work, the place had transformed into a space completely different from a regular classroom.

Wearing an apron, I stared blankly at the gorgeously decorated room.

Since two days ago, following what we had discussed beforehand, I had been working hard with the cooking club members to bake cookies and waffles. Since we prepared 200 servings of each, it was quite exhausting work, but the sense of accomplishment upon finishing was immense.

After we went to the concert, Fuka figured I must be busy, so she continued her running and lessons on her own. Since then, the number of times she spoke with the family had slowly increased... but the distance between her, Chinatsu, and Sorane still hadn't shortened.

"—Rikkun, Haloha—!"

Someone tapped my shoulder from behind, snapping me back to reality. I didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.

"Asahina... good morning."

"Hmm?"

"Ha-Haloha—"

I forced myself to return her custom greeting, and Asahina frowned with slight concern.

"It's almost time to open. You seem spaced out, are you okay?"

Asahina and the other girls playing the "little sister" roles for customer service were all wearing sailor uniforms. It seemed they all acquired them differently, as the colors and designs varied, creating quite a diverse lineup. Asahina should still have her junior high uniform, but she was wearing a navy blue sailor uniform in a different color. To be honest, it looked really good on her. I wouldn't say that out loud, though.

"Sorry, I might just be a little tired."

"That's okay. You did work really hard making the sweets, after all. We can be flexible with the shifts, so just let me know anytime!"

"Oh, thanks."

"Yep!"

Asahina showed a friendly smile and proactively greeted the other classmates. Her considerate personality was probably the reason she was so well-supported as the class rep.

After a while, lively music and an announcement played over the speakers, declaring the start of the cultural festival. Clapping sparsely, we each took our designated positions. The guests should be entering now under the guidance of the executive committee members.

The kitchen space where I was working was set up by the windows. The entrance and exit were separated by curtains, and to make it look less like a workspace, it was surrounded by painted cardboard boxes. While checking if I had everything I needed around me, I looked at the menu taped at eye level.

• Cookies Baked by Your Little Sister - 150 yen

• Waffles Baked by Your Little Sister - 200 yen

• Cup Ice Cream Taken Out of the Freezer by Your Little Sister (Vanilla/Strawberry/Chocolate) - 150 yen each

• Iced Drinks Made by Your Little Sister (Green Tea/Black Tea/Coffee/Orange Juice) - 50 yen each

• Take a Purikura with Your Little Sister (*Ordering ONLY a purikura is prohibited!) - 150 yen

When a little brother (male student) was serving, the "little sister" on the menu would be swapped to "little brother".

Although I really wanted to complain about what kind of ridiculous menu this was, according to my classmates, this is just what cosplay cafes are like. True, I'd heard that maid cafes sell things like "Moe Moe Omurice," so compared to that, saying these menu names was probably less embarrassing.

The cookies and waffles were served on paper plates, with the waffles decorated with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. The drinks were served in paper cups, so they had the highest profit margin.

"Just by becoming a customer, I can have Asahina and Chinatsu-sama call me Onii-chan. Today is absolutely amazing... I'm so glad I lived to see this day..."

Hiruoka shed tears, looking deeply moved. Even though all the other little brother roles around him were wearing gakuran uniforms, why was Hiruoka the only one dressed as a little kid in shorts...?

Just then, the clamor and footsteps of a large crowd approached from the direction of the stairs. It seemed the first batch of customers had arrived on the second floor, and a look of nervousness simultaneously flashed across the faces of everyone scattered around the classroom.

Two men who looked like university students peeked into the classroom with expressions of amusement.

"Welcome back, Onii-chan!"

The first to rush over was Asahina. She smiled and chatted with them for a bit, then said, "Right this way, Onii-chans!" and led them to their seats. Seeing her masterful skill, Hiruoka and the others remarked in astonishment, "She pulled in customers in just a few seconds." "As expected of Asahina, she's practically a hunter..."

Asahina pointed at the laminated menu and said to the seated customers:

"My personal recommendation is this waffle. I baked it really hard because I wanted Onii-chan to eat it... I hope it suits Onii-chan's taste."

She added the last sentence in a shy, quiet whisper. By the way, Asahina had been running around busily the whole time and hadn't baked a single waffle. But hearing a little sister say that, no older brother could refuse.

"T-Then... two waffles, please."

"I'll take two waffles as well. And add some cookies."

"Really? I'm so happy! What would you like to drink?"

"Whoa!" The classmates watching the table from the sidelines let out silent gasps of admiration. Recommending the waffle with the highest profit margin right off the bat... all we could say was, as expected of Asahina.

"Then Onii-chans, let's chant together... Become delicious, Sister-sister kyun!"

Asahina formed a heart over her chest and cast a magic spell on the waffles alongside the customers. Perfect customer service. By the way, the little brother's version seemed to be "Lil Bro heart-throb!".

However, I noticed it. Asahina's cheeks were slightly flushed. She was only taking the initiative for the sake of the class; in reality, she must have been incredibly embarrassed.

Thanks to Asahina's efforts, customers poured in endlessly, and the cafe grew more and more bustling. The other little sisters and brothers besides Asahina also cast aside their shame and fought bravely.

The kitchen was busy processing orders too. I peeked out from behind the curtain to secretly check on things, and Chinatsu was still standing in the corner of the classroom, unmoving. I could tell from her profile that she was a bit nervous.

Chinatsu was wearing an orthodox white-based uniform, with a striking blue collar and red scarf. She looked restless right now, constantly fiddling with her scarf.

Seeing her like that made even me nervous. Because next, Chinatsu would have to call an unspecified number of strangers "Onii-chan." I originally planned to try not to look over there and just focus on doing my own job well, but my eyes were just naturally drawn to her.

Just as I was agonizing over this by myself, a teacher approached the kitchen.

"Oho, business is booming already."

I couldn't help but wave him over and speak to him in a low voice.

"Hey, Aru-kun, doesn't it bother you that Asahina is calling other people 'Onii-chan'?"

"Huh? Isn't that just the kind of cafe this is?"

He blinked in surprise. Well, yes, that was true.

"Besides, no matter what Meme calls the customers, I'm the only real Onii-chan she has..."

He was very open-minded about it. If this was the composure of a biological older brother who had cultivated years of bonds with his little sister, I honestly didn't think I could ever reach that level.

"Looking at you, don't tell me, Rikuto..."

"Don't give me that sly grin. I know perfectly well how bad it looks."

As I was feeling down, Aru-kun flashed a toothy grin.

"Isn't this a great change? Even though you looked so gloomy a few days ago, including that whole situation—it's great that Rikuto is living out fulfilling days."

It seemed my old friend had long seen through my depression over Fuka's situation. But he was right. Looking back at how I was before April, I was practically a different person now. At this point, even if I returned to my peaceful, ordinary days, I'd probably only feel unsatisfied. I even felt that since I had met those five sisters, those days would never return anyway.

"You're helping out with the stage performance too, right?"

"Ah, yeah. I'm just in charge of operating the spotlight, though."

He apparently still remembered that I had participated in the rehearsals at the gymnasium.

Eisei High School's lighting equipment was very comprehensive. To transmit data in real-time, computers were connected via USB interfaces, and student council members were in charge of operating the LED lights that could display colorful effects. However, the spotlights placed on the second floor of the gymnasium seemed to still be manual.

There were two spotlights, placed fairly far apart. I was in charge of one, and the other was handled by Mio, who had volunteered to help.

"That light is really heavy and hard to move, you know."

While we were chatting, Asahina smiled and walked towards us—no, towards Aru-kun.

"Ah, welcome back, Onii-chan! I baked a waffle for you."

"Meme, wait a sec. I just came to check on the class as the homeroom teacher..."

"Onii-chan is so mean~!"

...Rather than a little sister cafe, this just looked like a real brother and sister getting along perfectly well.

As I shifted my gaze while thinking about these things, I realized the cafe's business was booming even more. Perhaps because the "little brother" concept was so popular, there were also many female customers, and several groups were already lining up outside the classroom.

A classmate hurriedly clearing a table called out to Chinatsu, who was still standing around blankly.

"Chinatsu, could you go attend to the next group of customers?"

"Yes, alright. Understood."

—The moment had finally arrived. I tensed my shoulders nervously.

But as expected, I really didn't want to see Chinatsu calling someone else "Onii-chan." If it was "Onee-chan" at least... no, even that would be a bit annoying. Let alone a bothersome customer, I wasn't even a customer at all, just a bothersome staff member. With complicated feelings, I prepared to return to my station.

Right then, I heard Chinatsu's voice as she served three male customers in their twenties.

"Hey, a table's open."

...Huh?

"Hey, what's your order? Could you hurry it up?"

Eh? This is definitely a little sister cafe, right?

While I was taken aback by this incredibly cold attitude that didn't sound like customer service at all, Yaku told me as she placed cookies onto a paper plate.

"About Chinatsu-chan. Even though she practiced multiple times, she said she absolutely didn't want to call the customers 'Onii-chan.' Since we couldn't force her, Meme said to just let her serve customers in her natural state."

"I-I see."

However, this was the Imouto × Otouto Cafe. Could such an avant-garde customer service style really be accepted? I watched with uneasy feelings...

"This coldness..."

"The bare minimum amount of conversation..."

"That completely unsmiling expression..."

""It's exactly like my little sister back home...!" "

The three of them finally spoke in unison. Although it was an unexpected reaction, none of them were angry.

"It's been a while since I went back home. She might be feeling lonely too..."

Perhaps because Chinatsu's cold service was far too realistic, it even triggered their nostalgia.

I was dumbfounded by this unexpected sight, but at the same time, I couldn't help but wonder. Chinatsu said she didn't want to call the customers "Onii-chan" — could it be because I was here?

No, impossible. That was overthinking it. No, no, no, but... While I was flipping back and forth in my own head, Yaku shot me a cold look and said,

"More importantly, Miyanaga-kun, isn't it about time you started helping out?"

"I'm sorry..." I, who had completely abandoned my duties, apologized honestly.

From then until noon, my hands never stopped working. The cafe was so incredibly busy that there was no room for idle chatter; I just worked hard at plating. I also didn't forget to restock the drinks kept in the empty classroom.

The tables filled up quickly, and a long line formed outside the classroom. At one point, even the patrolling executive committee members came over to help manage the line.

Chinatsu was working hard too. She was constantly bringing customers to empty tables, serving food, taking Purikuras, completely swamped with work. By the way, from what I saw, she had a blank expression in every Purikura she took. But then again, getting that Chinatsu to smile was impossible unless her little sisters were standing in front of her.

"At this rate, the cookies and waffles will probably sell out early in the afternoon."

"Yeah."

Yaku was right; the stock was depleting rapidly. Though the cheerful atmosphere created by the servers played a huge part, seeing the customers popping the cookies into their mouths while saying how delicious they were made me really happy too.

Past noon, the peak of the chaos temporarily passed. I felt the barrage of incoming orders weaken slightly, and at that moment, Asahina pulled back the curtain to the kitchen.

"Rikkun, it's about time for you to take a break."

Because I had to help Fuka, my shift was only for the morning.

"Okay. I'll go take a break after I finish this." I replied, furrowing my brow. "You should go take a break, Asahina. You've been working this whole time, haven't you?"

Though there hadn't been any major accidents, every time an issue big or small cropped up, everyone would rely on Asahina. Besides serving customers, she also handled other tasks, so she must have accumulated quite a bit of fatigue.

Asahina widened her eyes in surprise, but quickly regained her smile and shook her head.

"Something minor like this is fine."

"Is that so."

She didn't look like she was forcing herself, so I nodded for now. Just as I was about to start squeezing the whipped cream, Asahina continued.

"Rikkun. Do you have plans to walk around the cultural festival with anyone?"

"No, I don't."

Last year I was with Hiruoka, so I figured it would be the same this year. Though I hadn't gone out of my way to ask him directly.

"Then, want to walk around with me?"

"...Eh!?"

Me and Asahina? Walking around the cultural festival together?

Startled by a possibility I had never even considered, the strength in my hands inadvertently increased. Looking at the larger-than-expected dollop of whipped cream I just squeezed out, I froze in place. Asahina paused for a moment before laughing.

"Just kidding. I'll be walking around with Shi-non!"

J-Just kidding, huh...

What a bad joke for my heart. Paying no mind to my racing heartbeat, Asahina immediately called out, "Shi-non, let's go!" Yaku was also getting ready to go on break.

After the two of them left, I handed the waffles to the serving staff while feeling battered, and then Hiruoka showed up.

"Sorry. Can someone from the kitchen go serve the customers? The guy for the afternoon shift is late."

"Eh."

Hearing this, I looked back, and everyone awkwardly averted their eyes. Come to think of it, everyone in here—myself included—were the ones who didn't want to serve customers. With things like this, the one Hiruoka could rely on was, needless to say, his close friend, me.

"Then I'm counting on you to take the next group, Rikuto! Table 5 is open!"

Leaving no time for me to argue, Hiruoka hurriedly dashed off.

At a total loss, I stood there blankly. Perhaps worried that I was taking too long to act, everyone in the kitchen started chiming in.

"Miyazato. Leave things here to me."

"We'll work together, don't worry."

Hearing just those words sounded reliable, but they were completely refusing to look at me. It was probably because they felt guilty about using me as a sacrificial pawn. And my name is Miyanaga.

"...Right."

Giving up helplessly, I took off my apron. I was originally only assigned to the kitchen, so I was just wearing my regular uniform under the apron. If this were a maid or butler cafe, I'd be doomed, but for a little brother cafe, coming out in my normal uniform should be fine... hopefully.

Without looking at the line outside the classroom, I walked over timidly. Although I had absolutely no experience serving customers, I should be able to scrape by if I just copy what the others are doing.

I cleared my throat softly and peeked out from the open door.

"Welcome back, Onii—"

Wait a minute, was it an Onii-chan or an Onee-chan? I looked up to check, but the words caught in my throat.

"Chi-Chinatsu?"

Standing at the very front of the line was Chinatsu, wearing her usual blazer. Chinatsu also widened her eyes in surprise and briefly explained her reason.

"Since I have this rare opportunity, I wanted to experience what it feels like to be a customer..."

I see. While I couldn't say I didn't understand how she felt, having me be the one to serve her was just a cruel twist of fate. If Hiruoka had known, he definitely wouldn't have handed the serving job over to me.

"I-Is that so. Well, anyway, please have a seat for now."

I couldn't just turn her away, so I led her to Table 5 by the wall. Faced with this completely unexpected situation, I felt a bucket of sweat breaking out on my back. Chinatsu sat down without a word. It seemed she felt just as awkward as I did.

"Uh—what would you like to order?"

This... it would be better to quickly ask for her order and switch out with someone else to serve her. Just as I was thinking that, Chinatsu looked up and deliberately tilted her head.

"Oh my? What kind of cafe is this place again?"

Her sparkling eyes clearly showed that she fully intended to enjoy this situation.

No, you didn't even address the customers a single time yourself... I thought to myself, but remembering my current position, my expression stiffened as I corrected myself.

"...Onee-chan, what would you like to order?"

"I couldn't hear you clearly."

"...O-Onee-chan, what would you like to order!?"

I pointed at the menu with a blushing face, and Chinatsu turned up the corners of her mouth in satisfaction.

"Yes, exactly like that. The little brother cafe is amazing. It puts me in such a good mood."

"............"

It put me in a very bad mood.

Seeing me twist my mouth into a look of total impatience, Chinatsu finally turned her eyes to the menu. However, she had probably memorized it long ago; there was no need for her to look at it at all.

"Then... please give me the Cookies Baked by Your Little Brother and an Iced Tea."

"Yes, yes. Cookies and iced tea, right."

I felt my face burning up as I walked to the kitchen.

I returned carrying a plate and cup on a tray and placed them next to Chinatsu's hand. Just as I was thinking, "Can I go back now?", Chinatsu picked up a plain cookie with her fingers.

"Did you make this?"

"Probably."

Although only vaguely, I could recognize the things I made.

Chinatsu nodded and put half of the cookie into her mouth. She chewed the cookie, making a crisp crunching sound.

Realizing that my nervousness was making me thirsty, I waited for the right moment and asked softly.

"...How is it?"

"...Mhm. It's very delicious. Rikuto's cooking skills are really good."

Chinatsu looked at me, smiling as if praising her little brother. It was a smile that caught me completely off guard. Although Chinatsu quickly put her smile away, my rapidly racing heart proved it wasn't a hallucination. But I gradually started to feel frustrated about being the only one getting teased by her. I cleared my throat and muttered quietly.

"Wow, Chinatsu is really amazing. To think you can call me 'Onii-chan' so often."

Chinatsu, who was drinking her iced tea, nearly choked. It was a testament to her composure that she didn't spit out what was in her mouth.

"Wait, t-that's not it. It's because Fuka and Sorane said I should call you that and that you'd be happy, so I just listened to them!"

Seeing Chinatsu so flustered put me in a great mood, and I smiled faintly.

"Come to think of it, you've only called me that once since then. I wonder when I'll get to hear it next."

"...You're so annoying. Even though you're the little brother right now."

Chinatsu glared at me fiercely, but it completely lacked any intimidating force.

Just like that, although I got teased, I managed to retaliate, and overall, serving her was quite fun. After paying the bill, Chinatsu spoke to me in her usual calm tone.

"I had a lot of fun. Well then—"

Before she could say her goodbyes, I couldn't help but speak up.

"Chinatsu. If it's alright with you, do you want to walk around the cultural festival together?"

Even though I was the one who initiated the invitation, I immediately chickened out. Why did I invite Chinatsu? I didn't quite understand it myself. If she asked back, "Why?", I'd be done for. As I secretly sweat bullets behind my back, Chinatsu spoke.

"Sure."

She agreed so readily that I was at a bit of a loss, and the beautiful, slender eyebrows in front of me furrowed.

"Are you going? Or not?"

"I'm going, I'm going. Wait for me a sec."

I gave a heads-up to the person in charge of the kitchen and walked out of the classroom with Chinatsu.

"Well then, there's a place I want to check out."

"It's your sisters' classes, right?"

I answered instantly, and for some reason, she widened her eyes.

"How did you know?"

"Or rather, I couldn't think of any other possibility..."

Then Chinatsu nodded as if she understood something.

"Ah, so that's it. The place you want to go is the same."

"Eh? Yeah... I guess."

Of course, I also wanted to see the little sisters' classes. Although I didn't know what Chinatsu had understood, I figured I'd confirm it first.

"First we'll go to Mio's class, then Karin's stall, and finally Fuka's class. Is that okay?"

"Yeah. Route-wise, I was planning to go in that order too."

Since there was no conflict of interest, we walked down the stairs, which were covered in posters. Since there were many outside guests today, Chinatsu and I walking together wouldn't stand out too much. Though occasionally we would still be cast "Huh?" glances... I'll just believe that the heat of the festival will make people forget about it.

Mio's class, Class 1-C, was holding a festival-style event just as I had heard. The customer demographic was different from our class; there seemed to be a lot of families and couples. I looked around the bustling classroom, but didn't see any sign of Mio.

"She might be on a break."

"Yeah. What a shame."

Chinatsu replied, looking genuinely disappointed. She must have wanted to catch a glimpse of her little sister working hard. Feeling bad about bothering the Class 1-C students who were busy serving customers, we left the classroom.

Next, we headed to the courtyard. The surroundings were filled with an appetite-stimulating aroma, and there were many customers. Karin's class, Class 1-D, was apparently running a Korean cheese corn dog stall. It seems to have become a staple food for stalls recently, but I'd never eaten one. According to Hiruoka, it's a food like an American corn dog, but with mozzarella cheese inside instead of a sausage.

"Ah, it's over there, isn't it?"

"Yeah, let's go."

We could see a sign with a drawing of something similar from far away. Chinatsu quickened her pace slightly. But when we arrived in front of the stall, what awaited us were ruthless words.

—Sold out.

There were two underclassmen I didn't recognize left behind to watch the stall, but that was it. All the cleanup aside from the stall itself was already finished. It seemed it sold exceptionally well. Naturally, Karin wasn't there.

"...I'm getting hungry. Let's go buy something at another stall."

"...Yeah."

Having missed her sisters twice in a row, Chinatsu seemed quite down. Her poorly concealed expression of disappointment looked a bit pitiful.

I bought takoyaki and french fries, while Chinatsu bought grilled rice balls and a frankfurter. Everything sold in the courtyard was basically greasy food. We sat at an empty table to eat and fill our stomachs. After throwing away our trash, we headed through the gymnasium toward the middle school building.

Even just looking from the hallway, we could feel the vibrant energy pouring out from the various classrooms. Some classes opened cafes or food stalls like ours, some built amusement rides like roller coasters and teacups, and others held meticulously planned exhibitions in their classrooms like mosaic art or photography displays.

And just like that, we arrived in front of Fuka's class, Class 2-B. However—

"Sorry, Fuka just went on break!"

A middle school student who looked like Fuka's friend pressed her hands together in apology.

Thinking about it carefully, this was only natural. Fuka's performance was scheduled for 3:00 PM, which was an hour and a half away. It wasn't strange for her to leave early to prepare just in case. Which meant we shouldn't have worried about our route; the right move would have been to go straight to Fuka's class to see her... but realizing that now was far too late.

"...Want to play the maze?"

"...Yeah. Fuka worked hard making it, after all."

Chinatsu and I obediently lined up at the very back of the queue.

Just as I'd heard beforehand, the giant maze was their masterpiece. The difficulty wasn't too high; you could progress as long as you observed your surroundings carefully, so it was fun to play. To cater to their main demographic of families and students, they seemed to have prepared just the right amount of gimmicks.

"Oh, it's a dead end. Let's go back to the fork."

"This is... I see, it's a hidden window."

We cooperated with each other to navigate the giant maze.

As we smoothly progressed through the maze, we entered a long tunnel section.

"Hmm, do we have to crawl forward from here?"

Standing in the front, Chinatsu didn't hesitate to get down on all fours. I whipped my head around with all my might. No matter how you looked at it, I'd be able to see up her skirt. Her actions were far too defenseless.

"Wait, Chinatsu. I'll go fir—"

S-She wasn't listening. Not only that, but she just kept moving forward...

I sighed, got down on all fours like Chinatsu, and curled my body. For the next little while, I had no choice but to try my best to look straight down as I crawled forward. Because I couldn't see ahead of me, my head and shoulders kept bumping into the cardboard boxes. I'd secretly check if the boxes were damaged every time, but I couldn't look in Chinatsu's direction either, resulting in a long, agonizing ordeal.

"The tunnel seems to be ending soon. I'll wait for you outside."

"...Right."

I responded to Chinatsu quietly. Then, the sound of several people talking drifted in from ahead.

"Uh, what is this?"

"Hmm~ maybe we destroy the path?"

"Didn't the nice lady earlier tell us not to destroy anything!"

It seemed we had caught up to the group in front of us. They seemed to be a family, so their pace was slower than ours. Then again, those voices sounded familiar...

"Mom, let's go back a bit. I think there's a path over there!"

Maybe I should slow down my pace. As I thought that, I crawled out of the tunnel, only to hear a young girl's energetic voice.

"Ah! Natsu-nee!"

"Eh? Sorane?"

Sorane came pattering over and gave Chinatsu a tight hug. Chinatsu firmly caught Sorane with her body trained by karate.

Following Sorane, Natsuki-san and Dad also appeared from the path ahead. It seemed the three of them had challenged the giant maze together.

"Welcome back, Dad. When did you get back?"

"Oh, I'm back, Rikuto! My beloved son!"

I first twisted my body to dodge him. I'd heard he planned to come back for a bit, and it seemed he had made it in time without a hitch.

"So cold, Rikuto! By the way, I just arrived at Shizuoka Station two hours ago and met up with Natsuki-san and Sorane. We went to the cafe earlier too, but neither you nor Chinatsu were there, so we just ate ice cream!"

"The cookies and waffles were already sold out."

"Yeah~ I wanted to eat Riku-nii's cookies again."

I see. It seemed the Imouto × Otouto Cafe was doing roaring business after that, which was great. Moreover, even though Sorane was with them, Dad and Natsuki-san seemed to be enjoying the cultural festival together. As a son and stepson, I breathed a slight sigh of relief. Even though I thought they could have gone on a honeymoon, both of them were very busy with work and didn't seem to have any plans for it. They were both on their second marriages; was this level of enthusiasm normal?

As I thought about this, I shifted my gaze to Dad's face, which was impossible to ignore.

"...By the way, what's with those sunglasses?"

"Hmm, these?"

Although Dad wasn't wearing a Hawaiian shirt, he was, for some reason, wearing heart-shaped sunglasses with pink frames.

"It'd be troublesome if people found out I'm Chinatsu and the girls' dad, wouldn't it? This is a disguise, a disguise!"

Dad puffed out his chest proudly. I appreciated his consideration, but those sunglasses were undoubtedly drawing stares. Luckily, no one had called the cops on him for being a suspicious person.

"The wall here can be opened."

"It really can~!"

While we were talking, Chinatsu and Sorane solved the mechanism. The other side of the wall led to the exit. The five of us, having had a pleasant time, walked down the hallway together toward the gymnasium.

Walking at the front were Dad and Natsuki-san. Chinatsu and Sorane were holding hands and walking ahead of me.

"Anyway, any means we can use... so... I'm counting on you too, Sorane..."

Chinatsu spoke to Sorane with a serious expression, but her voice was so quiet that I could only catch fragments of her words. As I wondered curiously, "What are they talking about?", Natsuki-san slowed her pace and walked beside me.

"Are you on a date with Chinatsu today?"

"Da—!"

She whispered softly in my ear, causing my heart to beat erratically. I hurriedly looked over, but Chinatsu hadn't noticed us talking. Enduring Natsuki-san's gaze, I answered quietly:

"...No. We're just walking around visiting Mio and the others' class stalls together."

"Isn't that just a date?"

Natsuki-san was smiling brightly. I couldn't tell if she was teasing me or being serious.

"By the way, Rikuto-kun, I heard you've been helping Fuka out a lot. Thank you."

Just as I was feeling perplexed, Natsuki-san changed the subject. It seemed this was what she really wanted to say. I honestly didn't know how to react, and wished she had just gotten to the point from the start...

"No, it's no big deal." I was just about to say that, but changed my mind. Fuka had taught me that I shouldn't be modest at times like this.

"Yes, I serve as Fuka's manager, stylist, and nutritionist. Today, I'm also in charge of the lighting."

"Wait a minute, you might be even more capable than I thought."

Natsuki-san covered her mouth and laughed.

In the midst of the cultural festival crowds, everyone looked happy. Laughing with wide open mouths, linking arms with each other, pointing at signboards, fully enjoying an extraordinary day that would disappear by tomorrow. Natsuki-san dodged the crowd as she walked, and spoke in a casual tone,

"My parents were opposed to me becoming a lawyer."

"...Is that so?"

"They kept earnestly trying to persuade me, saying it was a profession only a tiny minority of people could pursue. But I have a stubborn personality, and I thought, 'I will definitely become a lawyer!'. Because my parents didn't support me, I moved out to live on my own, became a scholarship student at the university, and studied hard every day while working part-time. I thought, 'How could I possibly lose!'."

Natsuki-san recounted her past with a smile; I couldn't sense at all how much hardship she had endured.

"Maybe that's why. No matter what dreams a child has, as long as it doesn't stray from the right path, as a parent, you want to support them. Just like how I wanted my parents to support me."

"............"

"I told Fuka these exact feelings yesterday, too."

Just as I expected, it seemed Natsuki-san had no intention of opposing Fuka's dreams.

Was she done saying what she needed to say? Natsuki-san waved her hand and returned to Dad's side. I shifted my gaze forward towards Chinatsu.

"If it could be solved by simply talking it out, it wouldn't have been this difficult from the start..."

I muttered quietly and sighed.

What kind of stage performance will Fuka show us today? More importantly, I just hope Fuka herself doesn't leave with any regrets.

◇◇◇

Because I had to help Fuka, I said goodbye to the four of them and climbed up to the catwalk.

The gymnasium was draped in black curtains. Cheers constantly erupted from the audience seating; it seemed the cover band's performance was really hyping up the crowd. I wondered if it was the band Asahina had mentioned wanting to see.

The folding chairs lined up to the back were almost completely full, and some spectators were even standing up and waving their hands. Glowing wristbands had been handed out at the entrance, so looking down from above, you could tell at a glance how many people in the audience were cheering.

So as not to get in the way of the lighting crew and the recording cameras, I moved forward as slowly as a cow. Going down the stairs from the catwalk, I arrived at the backstage waiting room and saw Fuka mingling among the upperclassmen, sitting on a folding chair in the corner.

As soon as she noticed me, she turned her head. Having changed into a gorgeous idol outfit, Fuka looked somewhat out of place under the dim lighting.

"Fuka, how are things?"

"...Yes, quite well."

I asked her quietly just to be safe, and Fuka, wearing makeup, showed a faint smile.

"Does the outfit feel uncomfortable anywhere? Is anything torn, or making it hard to move...?"

"There are no issues."

She didn't seem to have any problems, so I breathed a sigh of relief for the time being.

However, Fuka seemed unusually quiet. Just as I was searching for a topic of conversation, an unfamiliar girl timidly called out to me from beside Fuka.

"Hello, I am Fuka's friend, Riko Hiruoka."

She gave a slight nod of greeting. She was a middle schooler with a lively, outward-curling bob haircut.

I had heard from Fuka that she asked a friend to help with the audio work, so this must be that friend, but there was one thing I couldn't just let slide.

"Hello. You said Hiruoka, could it be..."

"Yes, I am Atsushi Hiruoka's little sister. Thank you for always taking care of my brother."

Oho, I whispered in my heart. So this girl is the rumored Hiruoka little sister.

And she seemed to have heard rumors about me as well.

"Fuka told me that you, Miyanaga-senpai, got to know Fuka because you became close with Chinatsu-senpai."

Hiruoka-san said this while sneaking a glance at Fuka.

"Ah, yeah, that's right."

"............"

"............"

What should I do? My response was so incredibly boring that the conversation couldn't continue.

It would be a huge help if Fuka could join in, but she seemed completely focused on preparing for the actual performance starting in ten-odd minutes, completely checking out of our conversation.

I desperately searched for a topic.

"By the way, did you come visit our class? Hiruoka... Atsushi playing a little brother should be pretty funny—"

"I heard about it. It's Imouto × Otouto Cafe, right? My brother apparently came up with the idea... It's seriously gross."

Hiruoka-san said dismissively, with a look of pure contempt.

Now that she mentioned it, Hiruoka, who has a real little sister but still proposed the idea of a little sister cafe, might actually be really gross. Thinking about it that way, I couldn't defend him at all.

"Do you and Atsushi not get along very well?"

Hearing this question, Hiruoka-san waved her hand in front of her face, looking surprised.

"Eh? Nothing like that."

"...Eh? Really?"

According to Hiruoka, wasn't he being persecuted like a pest at home? Hiruoka-san's attitude a few minutes ago also seemed to corroborate that.

"I just think he's an eyesore, that's all."

"...I see."

I started to feel that it would be better not to ask any further, otherwise it might be too kind to Hiruoka.

"I should probably get going."

Hiruoka-san stood up. There was a full set of audio equipment set up near the audience seating by the stage, so she was probably heading there to prepare.

I followed her, preparing to head to the catwalk.

Right then, Fuka stood up from her chair, making a clattering sound.

"Onii—"

I looked back to see Fuka, who was about to call me Onii-sama, stop mid-sentence. The upperclassmen who were quietly practicing their manzai comedy routines shot Fuka a glance before returning their eyes to their hands.

"Fuka?"

I called out to the frozen Fuka, and she hurriedly forced a smile.

"...It is nothing. I just wanted to say, please take care of the lighting."

Although I was a bit concerned about her state, right at that moment, a shout of "The next song is the last one!" echoed from the stage. Fuka's turn to perform was fast approaching.

"Alright, leave it to me."

I replied, and returned to the catwalk.

Every time the lead singer belted out a note, my eardrums would slightly vibrate. I rested my hands on the railing and looked down at the stage, where particles of light from the mirror ball were dancing.

...Even though I wasn't the one standing up there, I felt a bit nervous. Although I had operated the spotlight during the rehearsal a few days ago, I was still worried about what to do if I made a mistake.

"Onii-san, good work."

I looked back, and Mio was calling out to me in a low voice. It seemed she came over to talk to me before the actual performance.

"Good work, Mio. I'm counting on you today."

"Mhm. I'll do my best. I hope I can help Fuka-chan out, even if just a little."

Mio clenched her fists. Seeing that Mio was acting like her usual self, my nervousness gradually dissipated as well.

"Come to think of it, Chinatsu and I went to your class looking for you earlier, but we couldn't find you."

I was just trying to make small talk, but Mio widened her eyes in surprise.

A few seconds of blank silence. Before I could continue, Mio hurriedly lowered her head.

"I'm sorry, I must have gone to the restroom right then. I'll have to apologize to Chinatsu nee-san later."

Although I felt something was slightly off, I just said, "It's just that our timing was bad," and ended the conversation. The resounding applause told me that the cover band's performance had finished.

Shielding the screen from the light with my hand, I checked my phone; it was currently 2:58 PM. Probably thanks to the executive committee's hard work, the stage events were proceeding smoothly on schedule.

The stage curtain fell, and the broadcast announced a five-minute intermission. The double doors of the gymnasium were opened, and a portion of the audience began to swap out. During this time, the band members cleared out, leaving the stage temporarily empty.

The one who would be standing there next was Fuka.

"Well then, I'll head over to my spot."

"Mhm. Counting on you."

Catwalks were installed on both the left and right sides of the gymnasium, and spotlights were placed on the catwalks closest to the stage. Mio was in charge of the right side, and I was in charge of the left.

Leaving the spotlight turned off, I gently moved it a few times. It seemed there were no issues.

『The next act is an idol concert by Fuka Miyanaga-san from Middle School Class 2-B. Please enjoy.』

Five minutes flew by in a flash, and the broadcast announced the next act.

Immediately following, an upbeat intro music echoed throughout the gymnasium. This was a method used by the Fuji Girls as well, playing a different tune from the actual songs to let the audience know the concert was about to begin, thereby stoking their anticipation.

Amidst the uplifting melody, the formerly pitch-black stage was dimly illuminated. From the side of the stage, Fuka emerged, fully prepared.

Now's the time. I turned on the spotlight, and syncing up with Mio in the distance, I slowly moved the heavy light. I kept Fuka bathed in the light, only stopping when she stood in the center of the stage. Then, I turned the dial, cranking the light intensity to the maximum.

"Perfect," I nodded slightly. The position and brightness of the lighting were flawless.

Hiruoka-san, sitting on her folding chair, also reached for her equipment, working diligently. The music switched, and the intro to the first song—"Full Power☆Starlight"—began playing.

Although most of Lie♡Lie's hit songs were dance tracks, "Full Power☆Starlight" was a song that emphasized vocal power and message. To firmly grab the audience's hearts right off the bat with Fuka's singing, I had chosen this track as the opening song.

"...?"

However, looking down at the stage, my brows immediately furrowed.

Fuka was staring straight ahead, completely motionless. She gripped the microphone with both hands, standing frozen in place.

"The microphone... shouldn't have any problems, right."

Forget about problems; Fuka on the stage wasn't even singing.

Probably sensing something was wrong, the murmurs of the audience drifted into my ears over the vocal-less music. The noise grew louder and louder, as if it were going to swallow the entire dim gymnasium.

Now that I thought about it... when we met earlier, Fuka was unusually quiet.

Fuka Miyanaga was the kind of girl who would usually talk endlessly and laugh happily even if you didn't ask her to. But earlier, she hadn't joined the conversation and had merely kept smiling.

I cast my mind back. Under that dim lighting, hadn't her small face been incredibly pale? Hadn't her expression been stiff? Hadn't her slender body been trembling? Had I overlooked several warning signs—

Fuka was probably so nervous she couldn't put it into words.

And naturally so. Plays, musicals, manzai, cover bands—all of them went on stage with trusted companions.

But Fuka was all alone on that stage.

I hadn't noticed the weight and pressure pressing down on her shoulders at all...

"If only I had talked to her properly..."

It was too late for regrets now.

Sweat seeped from my palms, and my chest filled with anxiety. My heart was pounding fiercely.

At this rate, Fuka's dream, before it could even blossom on stage—would be over in just a few seconds. Her hard work and the sweat she shed would all amount to nothing.

It must have been difficult for Hiruoka-san to make a call as well. Before reaching the chorus, the music coming from the speakers gradually faded out and finally disappeared.

The moment the music stopped, silence descended. Clamor and voices of confusion shook the venue.

Time passed pointlessly. This span of time would only serve to pile up the audience's doubts and dissatisfaction.

I... decided I had to do something to fill this void.

"—At the start, I was only looking up—"

I stood up and opened my mouth wide. I sang the verse of "Full Power☆Starlight"—a song I had listened to who knows how many hundreds of times.

The sudden singing plunged the audience into confusion. That was only natural.

I was terribly tone-deaf.

During the junior high choir contest, my singing was so bad that my classmates smiled wryly and said, "You don't have to force yourself to sing, just mouth the words," to the point where I swore never to sing in front of others again.

That was why, when I heard Fuka's singing voice, I was moved from the bottom of my heart.

I purely wished for her voice to reach others. To reach even more people than she hoped for.

"—At the distant sparkle, the unreachable tomorrow......"

"What is this?"

"This is ridiculous..."

"Who's singing?"

"LMAO."

Laughter completely devoid of malice accurately pierced my heart.

The blood in my entire body felt like it was boiling, and sweat poured out endlessly. It was so humiliating. My chest hurt. I couldn't breathe. I wanted nothing more than to immediately cover my horrible-sounding mouth with both hands and crouch down on the ground.

But, I wouldn't stop. Because Fuka was still standing on that stage right now.

Fuka alone must have instantly realized it was my voice. I clearly locked eyes with her as she looked up in astonishment.

A heartbreaking film of tears welled up in her eyes. Her lips, so pale they didn't need makeup, trembled as she whispered soundlessly. Onii-sama. She moved her lips as if crying out to me for help.

Truth be told, I wanted to tell her "Do your best," I wanted to shout "Don't give up."

But I couldn't say those words. Because the idol Fuka admired—would not want to be encouraged by her manager in front of the audience.

So I could only sing. I could only clumsily sing her favorite song that she wanted to sing, buying time for her to pull herself together and continue singing.

The audience shifted their gazes through the darkness, searching for where the person singing so terribly was hiding.

Just then, as if kicking away all the background noise—a heavy thud echoed as someone forcefully stomped on the gymnasium floor.

Everyone instantly forgot to speak, searching for the owner of the new sound. I looked towards the first floor, saw that reliable back, and almost laughed out loud.

Exactly. Your little sister is in a crisis; there's no way you wouldn't come.

Two girls instantly dashed up the stairs leading to the stage, drawing everyone's eyes, and smoothly took over the lyrics I had been singing.

"—Always."

"in pain"

"—Always."

"Running away..."

The ones who appeared on stage were Chinatsu and Sorane.

Chinatsu was in her uniform, and Sorane was wearing an elephant-print T-shirt, just like when we had parted ways earlier. They must have sprinted all the way from the very back of the audience, yet neither of them was out of breath.

They stood on either side of Fuka, simply to highlight the lead vocalist in the center, but also because the switch on Fuka's microphone was still on. The voices of the two who crashed in from the audience without microphones echoed throughout the gymnasium via that single mic.

Matching the lyrics, the two of them wore sorrowful expressions. Even though their heights varied drastically, with Fuka standing in the middle, they looked incredibly coordinated.

At that moment, the spotlight that had been focused on Fuka accurately snapped onto Sorane.

That's right. I still had things I could do. Following Mio's lead, I swung my light onto Chinatsu.

Perhaps because of the implications of the lyrics, a portion of the audience mistakenly thought this entire sequence was part of the performance. People in the front started clapping to the beat.

"Chinatsu and Sorane are both super cute!"

Someone yelled out, and the clapping gradually grew louder, with cheers rising from all corners of the gymnasium.

"Yeah—!"

"Great singing—!"

I was a beat slow to realize it. The person who yelled out first was likely Asahina. She knew this was an accident, so she lent Fuka and Chinatsu a helping hand. As expected of the class rep, I could do nothing but admire her.

Chinatsu and Sorane exchanged a look past Fuka, smiling as they sang along with her.

"You said that even days like that were dazzling..."

There was a hint of provocation in their smiles and voices; it probably wasn't just my imagination.

Even I, watching from the catwalk, noticed it. Fuka standing in the center of the stage—the competitive Fuka—couldn't possibly have missed that message.

Hey, what are you going to do?

Are you just going to stand there frozen?

Chinatsu and Sorane asked through their song, and Fuka answered them on stage.

Fuka readjusted her grip on the microphone and slowly closed her eyes.

Everyone naturally held their breath, as Mio and I focused our spotlights back onto Fuka.

『Fuuuhhh...』

The sound of her taking a deep breath carried through the microphone.

『I reached out my hand toward that star and started running.』

Relaxing her shoulders, she sang a phrase of the chorus.

Just hearing that one line was enough to make you feel that many in the audience had widened their eyes and were staring intently at the stage.

Before any meaningless silence could form, the intro to "Full Power☆Starlight" blasted at high volume with impeccable timing.

Chinatsu and Sorane didn't miss this chance, swiftly retreating to the sides of the stage. Their exit was so brilliant it even gave me the illusion that everything had been staged.

I looked down and spotted a girl with twintails standing in front of the audio equipment. Although I couldn't see clearly in the dim light, it was undoubtedly Karin. She had Hiruoka-san stand back while she operated the machinery.

Overcome with emotion, I couldn't help but give Karin a thumbs-up. I didn't know if Karin noticed, but I immediately moved my gaze back to the stage. I didn't want to miss a single second of what came next.

Fuka's performance began. Her singing voice echoed through the mic.

Even though she was doing dance steps that swayed her body, she started with her head lowered, singing in a somber tone that involuntarily squeezed the depths of my heart. Fuka's long eyelashes cast shadows on her cheeks, and unease crawled all over my heart like creeping vines.

Fuka sang with the smile of a lost child. What should I do? What is the right thing to do? However, even upon a past full of regrets, light has been shed. Because of a single phrase someone said to me, my hand that was crouching in the darkness was pulled up.

As it hit the chorus again—a singing voice that was enough to shake your heart just by listening to it was unleashed all at once.

The faded world was suddenly repainted with vivid colors. The stage, caressed by massive, colorful lights, was gradually adorned.

Fuka's silhouette became clear. Her slightly wavy hair danced gently in the breeze. Her slender shoulders were filled with power, and a soft smile surfaced on her cheeks that had regained their color.

Bathed in lights bright enough to practically scorch her body, Fuka revealed a gaze that outshone the spotlights, delivering her powerful singing to the entire audience.

Whether standing or sitting, the audience was now waving their arms in absolute captivation. Every time they did, the bracelets on their wrists would sparkle radiantly.

Watching this beautiful scenery, I thought it was exactly like looking down at a starry sky. This so-called catwalk was perhaps a VIP seat where one could behold both the idol and the audience together.

This was also something Fuka had told me. That sense of unity unique to idol concerts. The audience is an existence that creates the concert alongside the idol.

The stars floating in the night sky appear to be shining all on their own. But if they can use their voices to convey that they are shining, that they are right there, the other stars will notice that light as well. That way, they will never feel lonely again.

『I won't lose, so watch me.』

As if entrusting her feelings, Fuka reached her right hand up toward the distant sky.

She wasn't stronger than anyone else. It was precisely because she was easily hurt that she wanted to step forward with strength—

『Starting to run with full power cuteness, my Starlight』

Leaving a lingering resonance, the song came to an end, and applause erupted from the audience like a gushing spring all at once.

Amid the ceaseless cheering, drastically different from the first track, the intro to "Sweet Pentagon"—a song that got you hyped just by listening to it—began to play.

Flashing a charming smile capable of captivating anyone, Fuka spun around, her skirt fluttering. She hopped adorably in her boots and traced a heart in the air with her fingertips.

Because it was a hit song this year, many in the audience sang along. Even those who didn't know it well happily raised their arms. Everyone was drawn in by Fuka's gaze, moving their bodies in pure ecstasy.

I clearly understood the reason why.

Above all else—Fuka was incredibly cute. Cute enough to make you think that every single person watching this stage might fall in love.

Every single one of her movements was pleading, "Watch me, look at me more." Her moist eyes under the illumination of the lights. Her flushed, dewy cheeks. Lacking any sharp edges, her soft body wrapped in frills.

Even I, who had accompanied Fuka to her lessons multiple times, felt my heart racing... Fuka on stage was cute to a ferocious degree.

Then, just as I was marveling at how incredible a serious Fuka was.

"Hmm?"

Turning off the spotlight temporarily as planned, I tilted my head.

Because Fuka's eyes, which had just been looking at the audience, were for some reason—now focused right around the catwalk where I was.

『—Hey, the sweet and cute pentagon, who will you choose?』

Placing her index finger on her chin, Fuka whispered the lyric while winking mischievously. Her gaze had, without a doubt, caught me.

The chorus part of this song seemed like it existed specifically for calling out your favorite member's name. Amid the classic cheers of "Fuka—!" ringing out all around, Fuka casually shifted her gaze away from me.

I remembered. Fan service means that an idol will make eye contact with the audience, or point at them with their finger, or make a heart gesture...

The one who had said those words was none other than Fuka.

"...Idiot."

Even though I knew she couldn't hear me, I muttered it quietly anyway. To forget my embarrassment, I focused entirely on my lighting duties.

Amid the passionate atmosphere, the second song ended. Bathed in the enthusiastic cheers, Fuka, covered in sweat, regulated her breathing.

Then, she began her MC segment. Fuka was very insistent on this point, saying that the time for idols and fans to communicate through words was absolutely indispensable.

『Hello, everyone. I am Fuka Miyanaga from Middle School Class 2-B.』

Fuka delivered her opening line in a clear voice while smiling and waving. The ones calling out Fuka's name were probably her friends from class.

『At first, I was so nervous that my body became completely stiff... I am terribly sorry for showing everyone such an unsightly display.』

Laughter and replies of "It's okay—" echoed from the audience.

『I absolutely love idols. And among all the idol groups, my favorite is Lie♡Lie. Being able to perform their songs on stage like this today makes me truly happy.』

Then, Fuka looked around the spacious gymnasium. In her narrowed eyes, a myriad of thoughts seemed to flash by.

『Thank you to all my classmates who supported me. Furthermore, to my most precious sisters who helped me for today—truly, thank you so much.』

Fuka bowed politely, and applause of praise erupted everywhere.

I silently joined in as well. I figured those words just now had definitely reached the ears of her other sisters.

『Well then, this will be the last song.』

She seemed well aware that due to the unexpected accident, very little time remained. Wrapping up her planned MC, she made the announcement, and naturally, voices of dissatisfaction arose from the audience.

Fuka, as if pulling all that dissatisfaction upwards, raised her free right hand above her head.

『Please wave your hands harder, cheer louder than before, and let's pump up the excitement even more! —"I Will Come to See You Today and Tomorrow"!』

Amid the exhilarated cheers and applause, Fuka's performance drew to a close.

Watching it all, I let go of the spotlight in my hands and slowly exhaled.

Probably because I had sung in front of a huge crowd, my entire body felt completely drained. But the nervousness and embarrassment seemed to have been blown clear away to the ends of the earth by Fuka's performance.

I thought it was a fantastic performance, and I felt genuinely happy. I savored this feeling, then walked over to Mio, who had worked hard on the opposite walkway.

Mio kept her hands on the now-turned-off spotlight, completely unmoving.

Perhaps because it was her first time experiencing something like this, Mio still hadn't recovered from the excitement either. So as not to startle her, I intentionally made footstep sounds as I approached, then gently patted her shoulder.

"Good work."

"Ah..."

I smiled at Mio as she turned around and said,

"Thanks to your quick thinking, Mio, you really saved me. I didn't even notice the spotlight."

I thanked her with feelings of both reflection and gratitude, but Mio's expression was gloomy.

"No, I..."

She looked like she wanted to say something, but her voice cut off.

I waited for Mio to continue, but she gritted her teeth and whispered:

"I couldn't encourage Fuka-chan like you did, Onii-san. And I couldn't go straight up on stage to help her like Chinatsu nee-san and Sorane-chan did..."

Hearing words that sounded like a confession of guilt, I was left speechless.

I actually wanted her to puff out her chest and proudly say, "I helped her." Yet Mio lowered her head in guilt.

"That's not true at all. Having you here was a massive help, Mio. I'm sure Fuka feels the same way."

"...Mhm, thank you."

She returned a weak smile. I felt like my words hadn't truly reached Mio's heart.

Just as I was about to say more, someone walked onto the catwalk. The next performance was about to start.

"Let's head out for now."

Feeling a bit antsy, I urged Mio on, and we exited the gymnasium.

We crossed the connecting corridor back to the school building, where Chinatsu and Sorane were waiting. They seemed to have left the gymnasium a step ahead of us.

I didn't see Natsuki-san or Dad; maybe they were still in the audience seats. Regardless, Fuka's feelings should have been conveyed to the audience without holding anything back.

I looked around. Because the gymnasium doors would close after a performance began, the hallway, having nothing else to see, was completely deserted. I took this chance to ask something that had been on my mind.

"Have you two been practicing singing?"

"Yeah. Sorane taught me not too long ago,"

Chinatsu replied. So she and Sorane had been doing this secretively.

If everything had gone smoothly, she had probably intended to keep it a secret until the very end. But, just in case, she had prepared herself. So that Fuka's once-in-a-lifetime stage wouldn't go to waste—

I felt deep admiration for a Chinatsu like that.

"You really are amazing, Chinatsu."

"Am I? I don't think so."

Chinatsu smiled at the stunned Mio and me.

"You bought the time for me and Sorane to get on stage. Mio moved the spotlight. Karin played the music... It's thanks to all of you that we barely managed to pull it off, right?"

Those words made my chest feel hot.

Because Chinatsu—who once cried and said she had to protect her four sisters all by herself—was now smiling and saying that she helped Fuka together with everyone.

"Yeah. Just as Fuka and you said, it was the power of all the sisters."

I nodded in agreement, and Chinatsu added softly.

"...Though I have no confidence in dancing, so I'm really glad we didn't have to dance out there."

"Yup! Because Natsu-nee moves just like a robot!"

Sorane mimicked Chinatsu, moving her body around stiffly. Better yet, she was even making "creak, creak" sound effects with her mouth.

Those overwhelmingly unique movements and tones were practically cheating. Mio and I burst out laughing together. "Stop it, Sorane, I'm not that exaggerated, am I..." Chinatsu said with a blushing face.

After laughing for a while, the pitter-patter of running footsteps came from the direction of the connecting bridge.

"Ah! You are all here!"

The one who appeared was Fuka, still in her stage outfit. Although her hair and clothes were clinging to her from sweat, her steps were still energetic.

Fuka looked around at everyone's faces and bowed her head deeply.

"Chinatsu Onee-sama, Sorane, Mio Onee-sama, Karin Onee-sama, Onii-sama... Thank you all so much!"

Fuka lifted her head, seeming a beat late to realize that the person with the biggest contribution wasn't here.

"Has Karin Onee-sama already gone back?"

Mio nodded slightly, and Fuka said with regret, "I see."

"Fuka."

Chinatsu called Fuka's name in a stiff voice. I felt the atmosphere instantly tense up.

Chinatsu had even gone up on stage herself to help Fuka today. But, she still didn't know the thoughts Fuka was hiding in her heart.

No matter how worried I was, I couldn't interject in this situation. I held my breath and watched them. Fuka didn't back down; instead, she took a step forward to face Chinatsu.

Before Chinatsu could speak, Fuka spoke up first.

"Chinatsu Onee-sama, I still want to become an idol. I want to become the idol I have always dreamed of being."

Standing before an attentively listening Chinatsu, Fuka clasped her hands over her chest and continued:

"No matter who opposes it, I want to do this. However... Truthfully, I wanted Chinatsu Onee-sama to be the first one to approve of me. I know it is selfish, but I want you to support me."

Her voice trembled slightly midway, but there wasn't a hint of hesitation in her eyes.

Chinatsu took her feelings head-on and slowly nodded.

"I understand."

Hearing those words, Fuka's eyes widened.

Chinatsu lowered her eyebrows and apologized with teary eyes.

"I'm sorry, I made you misunderstand before. From now on, I will always—support you as you work hard, Fuka. Never forget that one fact."

And also— she added in a whisper.

"Today's stage performance was amazing."

"...Onee-chan!"

Fuka scrunched up her face and threw herself at Chinatsu, hugging her tight.

Chinatsu hugged Fuka back, stroking her sweat-mussed hair, and declared without a shred of hesitation,

"If you ever encounter danger, Fuka, I will absolutely rush to your side. I'll send anyone who tries to hurt you flying so they can never get near you again. So you can rest easy."

Although her words were quite extreme, Fuka, already completely satisfied, just nodded through her tears.

At that moment, even Sorane shouted "Yay~!" with a huge smile and piled into the hug. Fuka let out a small squeak and pulled Sorane's head into the embrace.

Mio and I exchanged a look and smiled. I felt from the bottom of my heart that this was wonderful. Being able to see Fuka and the others laughing together like this was really... wonderful.

◇◇◇

When Chinatsu and I returned to our classroom, we found that the "Imouto × Otouto Cafe" had sold out.

The food and drinks were all gone. The Purikura film had also run out, so they closed shop in unprecedented triumph before the official closing time. More than the sales revenue, the fact that we completely sold out had the classmates buzzing with excitement.

Then, thirty minutes after the broadcast urged the general guests to head home—the closing ceremony was held in the gymnasium.

But I didn't participate; instead, I went to the deserted back of the gymnasium. Because before heading to the gym, I had received a message from Fuka.

The back of the gym was very close to the rear gates, and the lush trees blocked the line of sight. As I waited, looking at the weeds growing on the ground, a petite figure emerged from the opposite corner.

"Good work, Fuka."

"Good work, Onii-sama."

Having changed into her school uniform, Fuka smiled elegantly. Although she looked like a completely different person from the one sweating and dancing just a few hours ago, both were Fuka Miyanaga.

Without any prior agreement, we both crouched side by side on the outdoor staircase leading to the locked doors. Without even needing to say it out loud, I knew we were both exhausted.

Aside from our initial greeting, we had no conversation for a while. But this silence felt comfortable.

Usually, an atmosphere of finality would permeate this time of day, but occasionally, applause and laughter drifted through the gymnasium walls. Even if this day would eventually be forgotten, I believed it would be vividly recalled in some casual moment—that we had spent such a warm time together.

"Onii-sama."

Fuka called out to me softly.

Supporting myself with both hands on the ground, I slowly looked beside me. Fuka, sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees, was looking up and gazing at my face.

"Today... thank you for singing for me. Thank you for believing in me. Because you were there, Onii-sama... I was able to sing to the very end."

After expressing her gratitude, Fuka tilted her head slightly.

"However, I learned something new today. It turns out you are quite terrible at singing, Onii-sama."

"Yeah. It was hard to admit it to you since you're always praising me."

I gave a wry smile as if trying to cover it up, but Fuka didn't laugh. She sat with her knees hugged to her chest, looking up at me.

With delicate lips, she whispered softly, as if making a wish upon a shooting star:

"If I were to say... please sing for me one more time, would you be angry?"

Looking at her expression, I knew she wasn't joking.

"I won't be angry. Although I think you're crazy."

Fuka broke into a beaming smile and immediately began humming the intro to "Full Power☆Starlight". I tentatively tried to sing the lyrics I had completely memorized.

"At the start, I was only looking up"

"At the distant sparkle, the unreachable tomorrow"

Fuka instantly joined in, and the two of us sang in unison.

Fuka's singing and mine couldn't even be compared. Rather, I was constantly off-key, making it feel like I was dragging down her beautiful, delicate voice.

Despite that, Fuka looked incredibly happy. She swayed her shoulders to the beat, her slender shoulder bumping into mine several times. I was amazed once again that she had stood on that stage with such a petite body.

After we finished singing, Fuka looked up at the sky.

I followed her gaze. The sky was still bright at this hour, with reddish clouds drifting overhead, but Fuka seemed to be gazing at a place much further away.

"Onii-sama, how many stars are there?"

She suddenly threw out that question.

"Fixed stars... stars that shine on their own, I remember there being two hundred billion."

"Wow, two hundred billion... what an astonishing number."

Of course, I hadn't seen them with my own eyes, and it seems the exact number is still unknown. The universe is a boundless, unimaginably distant place.

"Then, why do stars shine?"

I prefaced it by saying I had read this in a book, and then began my explanation. Hydrogen. Protostars. Nuclear fusion. Supernova explosions.

At first, I was clearly explaining the reasons why stars shine, but before I knew it, my topic had strayed. From the moment they are born, the time of their end is already decided, and ultimately, when their energy is depleted, they will burn out—I was talking about the fate of the stars.

I wasn't trying to be mean to her. I just felt that Fuka wasn't simply asking for the scientific reason why stars shine.

But as Fuka listened, nodding along with "mhms," her brain seemed to have gotten scrambled halfway through.

"...That is very difficult to understand."

"In other words, even though the universe seems infinite, there is no eternity. No single star will continue shining forever."

After my summary, Fuka lowered her eyebrows.

"Putting it into words makes it feel quite cruel, doesn't it? However, it is beautiful. Even knowing the day they will end, stars will shine without a care."

In a few hours, the early summer night sky would likely be scattered with countless stars.

"I, too, wish to be like that..."

Fuka murmured to herself, looking up above. An exceptionally loud cheer erupted from the gymnasium, enough to drown out the sound of her breath.

 

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