ShipTeaser

  “Phew, all done.” I wiped sweat from my brow as I started to pack my bow away in its case. “Wow it’s hot. Summer sure is starting early.” Sweat was running down under my mue chestpte, soaking the cloth beh. I did really like Kyūdō, Japanese archery, but doing it in the summer heat could be a little miserable.

  As I shifted my chestpte someone pushed a dry towel at me. Turning I saw that it was Eri-, holding out the towel with her typical gentle smile. Wow, like I know we are both girls and all, but Eri- is really cute. She gets prettier as she gets older. Shame she is so shy though, still I wonder if that is part of what makes her so damn cute?

  “Thanks Eri-.” I smiled and began to mop away my sweat with the towel. My robe was turning a little transparent due to all the sweat, but luckily our traditional archery csses, like all other sp clubs, were separated by gender. It made sense, I guess, to protect the modesty of the girls, but in a school like ours with a low popution, it meant that most clubs only had a handful of members. In the Kyūdō club there was just me and a couple of irls, one of which wasn’t eveoday.

  “Don’t mention it. I just arrived, so I thought you could use a towel. It’s hot again today.” She shaded her eyes with her hands and stared up at the blue sky.

  Spoiler

  [colpse]Wow, yeah, totally adorable. If I was a guy, I’d totally be into Eri-. Of course, she only has eyes for my brother, not sure why. I mean, big bro is pretty cool, but Eri- could be a model or an idol if she wanted… I guess the impact of that day was too much for her heart and she’s been his ever since… his back, it was… kinda shining that day I admit… In a way they were both perfect for each other. Ever since we were kids I’d been childhood friends with Eri-, so naturally my big bro was the one who had to look after us, and then who pyed with us when we grew older, making sure we were safe, whatever happened. Eri- had always been super shy, but my big bro retty mue of the only people she would open up to. Still, she never had the ce to say what was on her mind, and of course my bro was way too deo notice. I’m guessihought she just liked him as a younger sister would.

  So yeah, strangely enough they are perfect for each other. If only they would realise…

  My chest twinged a little. Maybe I’d be a tiny bit jealous if they got together, as they’d have something I couldn’t be a part of, despite us sharing everything for all these years, but it’d definitely be for the best. Otherwise my big bro is likely to die a virgin. I doubt very much he’s been making many female friends on his own in Tokyo.

  “Well, wow, you aren’t wrong.” I replied as I ed myself up. My fellow club-mate was already in the ging room, no doubt hitting the showers. A cold shower sounded just heavenly to me right now as well. I couldn’t go to css all stinky anyway. Wow, I’d just die of shame if everyohought I wasn't a girl. “Still, it’s super nice of you to e a me before csses.”

  “Don’t I always?” Eri- gave an adorable little giggle. “I don’t have any clubs to go to myself, do I?”

  “No, I guess not.” Eri- wouldn’t get along well in clubs, and she leant more on academic activities anyway. The rare times when we weren’t together you’d most likely find her with a book in hand.

  We walked back together to the ging room. Opening up my wooden locker where my school uniform was hanging I noticed the message light on my phone was blinking. Pulling it out of my skirt pocket I took a look.

  “Wow, a message from big bro moonstohat’s a rarity, he usually doesn’t tact me first.” The iive idiot. Doesn’t he know it’s really rude to keep an awesome little sister like me waiting for news? It’s not like he couldn’t talk to me or Eri- far more than he does, that jerk… As I sed the message my eyes went wide. I couldn’t help but grin, causing Eri- to ask me what .

  “Wow, just wow.” I excimed in response. “It looks like big bro make it back for a few days this summer after all. That’s awesome.” As I watched Eri- smile shyly I couldn’t help but tease her. It would be criminal not to. “You look pretty happy to get to see my big bro again. Maybe this time you’ll finally tell him how you feel, right? He was asking after you, you know.”

  “How… how… I feel?” Eri- stammered, flushing a delightful shade of red. “I don’t…. Akio-kun… and I…”

  “Akio-kun, wow.” I interjected. “Why don’t you call him big brother like you used to?”

  Somehow Eri- mao blush even redder, like a ripe tomato. “I mean… I….”

  Wow, this is just too adorable. If we weren’t both girls I’d eat her up myself right now. “I’m just teasing. Calm down. Besides, he might bring his girlfriend anyway, so…” I trailed off quickly after my joke as Eri- froze. Her head turowards me almost robotically.

  “Akio-kun… has a girlfriend… in Tokyo?” Her words came out clearly but slowly, as if she was a puter w through a difficult task.

  “Uh… maybe…? Well, he has been out there a few years and…. Nah, probably not, you know how he is, right?” Wow. I backpedalled quickly as Eri- stared at me. For some reason I felt really nervous. I hadn’t seen her looking that… pissed off … before. She was normally so quiet. I guess I really hit a nerve.

  “I … see.” Eri- turhat through her head. Wow, this is bad. I have to ge the subject really quickly. Flipping my phone I pulled in close to Eri and grabbed her shoulder. “e o’s send him a picture. If he see how geous we’ve bee since he saw us st at New Years' he’ll be eager to get back here all the quicker, right?” I wi Eri-, who smiled nervously.

  “I don’t know…” she began, but I cut her off and made a peace sign with my off-hand.

  “Too te. We are doing this. Big smile now.” And with that, the phone made a noise and the picture was taken. “I’ll send it to him now.” I quickly typed out a return message and attached the picture, ign Eri-’s shy protests.

  “Uhh, you know, if you don’t get ready soon you’ll be te for css?” Eri- said softly, snappi of my reverie.

  “Oh wow, you’re right. I’ll have to hurry.” I practically threw my sweaty clothing off and dashed into the shower, leaving Eri- to tidy up after me. Really, she is too niy big bro. But then she does deserve to be happy…

  ********

  As I hurried into the , just beating the bell, Eri- behind me, I was greeted by one of the girls at the front of our small css.

  “Cutting it fine Ai-.” The girl said with a broad grin. “And you look pretty happy. Something good happen?”

  “I just got a mail from my big bro. he’s going to be back for a bit this summer.” I answered. “I don’t think I look that happy though?”

  “Sure you do.” Anirl chimed in from beside her. The pair of them were dressed in our summer uniforms, but the skirts were short, and the shirts were accessorised. They were the so-called ‘fashionable duo’, with bleached blonde hair and plentiful make-up, Chihiya Yae and Masui Rika. If I was being ho I wasirely fortable with these two. It’s not like we had any problems or anything, but we had different is and hobbies. Still, in a rural area like ours with only a few small towns and only one school around, everyone was kind of forced to be friends.

  “That’s right.” The first girl, Yae-san, said. “But then all of us here know you are really fond of your brother.”

  At that ent ughter sounded from the rest of the css, girls and boys alike, and I could feel my face heating up. That just made everyone ugh harder. Wow, this is embarrassing.

  “All right, all right.” Yae-san tinued. “And little Ri-Ri behind you is pretty happy as well, I bet. She’s been friends with him since she was tiny, right? I don’t think I’ve even ever seen her speak with another boy than him unless forced to.”

  At this only the girls ughed, and even I could see the boys looked kind of… grumpy. Eri- was super popur with the boys in school, not that they would get anywhere with a girl as shy as her without a miracle. Eri- had closed in behi the niame, and only got off when we had to separate when we reached our own desks.

  “e on, knock it off.” I said as firmly as I could manage. “You know Eri- gets upset by that stupid niame of yours.”

  Before she could ahe bell rang and the teacher entered. Sighing to myself I switched my mind to ode, wishing I was as smart as my big bro. He really ate up learning and stuff like that…

  ********

  As the bell rang for lund everyoarted pag up around me Yae-san and Rika-san came over to my desk. I opened my mouth to speak but before I could Yae-san was talking.

  “Don’t mind us earlier, we were only having a bit of fun, right? Nothing else to do here but gossip, is there?”

  I let out a long sigh. “I guess you’re right. But try not to tease Eri- too much okay? You know she doesn’t like it.”

  “We won’t. Ri-Ri is simply too adorable. If she dressed up a bit more and used the right make-up there wouldn’t be a boy alive who wouldn’t fall for her.”

  “It’s a shame it’s a man she is after and not a boy though, right?” Rika-san interjected. I could see Eri- flushing at her desk so decided to ge the subject, but before I could Yae-san ran off on a ta.

  “We should all meet up with your brother when he es back.” she said, twiddling with her blond hair with one finger.

  Wow! That was ued. As I wasn’t sure how to feel, she tinued.

  “It isn’t like many people from here ever get to move to Tokyo, let alone go to a uy a a job there. Plus he isn’t that much older than us. I bet he tell us all sorts of cool things, about karaoke bars, shopping malls, campus life…”

  Oh, so you meant that. For a moment I thought Eri- had a new rival. I should have knower, my big bro will never be popur with girls like these, they are way too up-front and pushy for a shy guy like him.

  “Yoshida-kun’s big brother went to live out in a rge town…” Rika-san interjected.

  “Yeah, but that’s hardly the same as Tokyo, is it?” Yae-san pointed out, to which Rika-san nodded. “Anyway, be sure to let us know when your brother is ing back so n something. Eveer, get him t us some presents. He’s w nht, he must have the cash rolling in, not like around here where w on farms and b stuff like that is the only thing to do.”

  “I think you may be overestimating him a bit…” Wow, this is soooooooo annoying. I know everyone knows everyone in our local vilges, but even so, they never showed muterest in him before. Still, I have to admit, getting to go to Tokyo is kind of cool. If all goes well I’ll go to uy there too. But then that means more studying if I want to pass the entrance exams… and then, I actually afford it? Big bro had to work a ton to make up the fees… oh wow. So much to think about… having dreams is hard, just like bro says.

  “I’ll ask him.” I allowed, ign the pleading gaze from Eri-. Stay strong and I’ll make it up to you ter, I promise! “I’m sure he tell some great stories about the big city. As for presents… well, do you think you are worth it?”

  “Of course. Any guy would love to give a geous high-schooler like me a gift. Maybe if he’s really cool now I’d let him ask me out for the summer festival at Chairoakitara shrine.”

  “Hey, don’t you have a boyfriend already?” one of the irls asked, ughing meanly.

  “Yeah, but it isn’t like we are serious or anything. Plus he’s a bit b. All he has going for him is he is a little bit good at baseball. All the boys around here are dull or ck ambition. I want a man who is going pces, who has dohings and will sweep me off my feet…”

  Groaning inwardly at the gres the boys in the room directed at us I sighed. Wow, I feel a headache ing on. Plus Eri- looks like she is going to cry. How did today turn into this…?