“That looks very nice, Ai dear. Did your bret you that?” my mom asked as I was unpag my new bow and all the reted gear, spreading it out on my bed. I nodded, remembering how excited I was when I saw it.

  “He sure did, you know big bro is always eager to please me and Eri.”

  “Eri, huh? That’s strange, what happeo Eri-? Did you get closer on your trip? Or…” As my mom seized on a point I didn’t want to talk about I wondered what to say. Luckily she rapidly ged the subject, as mercurial as ever. “... so, how much did all that cost? Taichi has been w out just how much that whiskey yht back is worth, and well… Aki has been spending rather too much, hasn’t he? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love the perfume and make-up, but when you add it together…” She leaned in close, whispering in my ear.

  “You tell me, Ai. I promise not to get mad, and I’ll listen to what you have to say with an open mind. Best you tell me, before Taichi finds out. Has… has our Aki got involved in something… criminal? It’s ns is it? Please tell me he isn’t smuggling drugs…”

  At her words my mi bnk, quickly filled with the fire of angry rage. I’m not going to listen to that, not even from you, mom!

  Jerking back away from her I gred at her, our blue eyes refleg each other. “No way! How could you accuse big bro of something like that? I’m disappointed in you, mom.” I could feel tears welling up, and they started running down my face, a mix of frustration and anger. “He’s been w hard, real hard, all these years, and now his effort has finally paid off, and this is what you think? I thought you were better than that, mom!”

  “e on, Aiko, don’t be like that. You know I believe in both of my children.”

  When she called me by my full was always a sign she was serious. Still, g and angry, I wasn’t going to back down, not on this, no way, no how! “I get it, I do. I was shocked myself when big bro came back looking all hot and with Shaeu on his arm. For a moment I thought ‘where did big bro go, who is that?’. But still, no matter how much he’s ged, and will ge iure, I know ohing. He’d never betray his family or Eri by doing something s!”

  As I tried to evade my mom, scuttling ay bed, I was too slow, and she grabbed me in a hug, and started ruffling my hair, like big bro used to. “Shush now, shush my Ai. St. I believe you, I do! My Aki is a good boy, you know that better than anyone, don’t you? After all, you and Eri- always used to hide in his shadow.”

  “I know, we did. We still do.” I wiped away the tears, uo squirm free. My mom had quite the grip. “But I realised… we never did anything but take from him. No wonder he left. Still, Eri, Shaeu… they showed me it isn’t too te to do better. e o me go!”

  “No, I don’t think I will, Ai dear. I missed you while you were gone, and worried, si was your first time abroad.” She pressed my head into her ample chest, and for a moment I woupid thoughts like whether I would get so big, before squawking indignantly.

  “I said get off, let go. Damn, mom, you are sm me! This isn’t how I wao go, at least not to my mom’s big chest!” As I mao break free, face red, I decided to get serious. Big bro, you idiot, now I’m having to cover for you! Shaeu too, you may be a princess and probably used to vish wealth, but we aren’t! We got carried away, no wonder mom and dad are suspicious!

  “Okay, firstly, there was o worry. We all speak English, don’t we? Besides, with big bro about, there was never any dahat’s ohing that’s never ged. Eri and I were perfectly safe all the time, and we had more fun that I dreamed possible. So y off my big bro! Sedly…”

  Okay, okay, we’ve had some good talks, like on the pne, and I am not as stupid as I always tell myself I am. So I think of a way to hahis… “…yeah, sedly, I ’t really talk about it too much, si’s big bro and Shaeu’s business, fidentiality and all that, but I was feeling a little… off-colour…”

  At that my mother tittered a little, amused, probably guessing I was hungover, since I had been when bro and Shaeu had visited us before. Ign her, I tinued.

  “… I was in our hotel when his banker visited. So it’s all legal, and he’s earni money. As for how it all works, you’d o ask him, but just… stop doubting him, please!”

  “All right, I believe you” She tried to snuggle me again, but I leapt from my bed and raced over to the other side of the room. She pouted, but didn’t follow, instead looking down at the Olympic-style bow I had received. “This is a very nice bow, isn’t it? Your brother still loves you a lot. Isn’t that nice. So if you got this, what did Eri- get? Oh wait, should I be calling her Eri too now?” She grinned wickedly, bringing up the point I had hoped she had fotten.

  Mom may a airhead at times, but she’s sharp. Oh well, best get this over with. After taking a deep breath, I smiled as disarmingly as I could. “Yeah, of course he does. A big bro moonstone who doesn’t dote on his sister is clearly an imposter. As for Eri… well, I expect we should set the table for six tonight. Eri, uncle and auntie will be ing over, I’d expect.”

  “I see, so it’s like that is it? My Aki’s all finally grown up. Although, I don’t think Taichi is going to be happy. Especially not if Aki has finally succeeded iing a career…”

  A career? If only you knew. Damn, I hate keepis. Big bro really o tell our parents the truth, but until then, not my problem… With a shrug of my shoulders I went back t out my luggage, happy mom hadn’t seen my other presents…

  ***

  The six of us were around our diable, a traditional meal id out, bowls of rice, miso soup, grilled fish and more. Of course, the atmosphere wasn’t the usual lively one, and I shared a iserating gh Eri, who looked nervous as hell. Still, when she reached for her soup I could see the lights of the room sparkling off her e ring, which she was still wearing. Pretty bold…

  “So, my son was foolish it seems, despite my warnings. You have my apologies. Despite our long friendship…” My dad bent down in a low bow. Mom clicked her tongue in annoyance, and uncle Mori rapidly tried to raise him up.

  “Don’t be foolish, Taichi! There is o bow to us.”

  “But my foolish son…” he began, only to be cut off by auntie Mori, who was all smiles. As expected, they’ve wanted Eri and my bro to get married ever since we were kids. No way they would be too upset about this turn of events.

  “What foolishness? You ’t expect two young people in love not to… fool around. Little Eri has shown me some of the pictures, and if they didn’t get romanti such a lovely pce, well I’d think they were not suited for each other after all. Besides…” She looked at her daughter fondly, and down at her e ring. “Little Aki is taking responsibility, so how we pin? Oh, I hardly wait for the wedding, we have to set a date…”

  She rambled on for a bit, before my dad spoke again, his mood still sour. “I have my worries. All of this money he has ing in, it seems suspicious and strange sidering he was barely making ends meet only a few months ago.”

  This is my time to interject… I opened my mouth to speak, only for Eri to beat me to it, her face dispying open annoyance, which was rare for her. Yep, the long talk we had on the p’s done her good… even if she now has other things to worry about…

  “Uncle Oshiro, you should have more faith in Akio.” Eri said, mirr the words I said to my mom earlier, which brought a snort of amusement from her. “Do you really think he would be doing anything unworthy? I’m disappointed in you, I really am…”

  At that I nearly spat out my miso soup. Everyone around the table was likewise looking at Eri in amazement, but she wasn’t do.

  “Akio has always thought about what is best for me, for Aiko, for you, uncle Oshiro, auntie Emily. He didn’t always get it right, but he always had our best is at heart. He’s finally found a ce to look after his family, to provide for those he loves, aaken it. It’s all very plicated, the adult world seems to be, but ohing it isn’t is wrong! Akio, Shaeu… they are fighting to provide for us! In what world could that be suspicious, or strange?”

  “Well said, my little Eri!” auntie Mori approved. “And all the better, if he has the means to support my darling little girl, then my st worries disappear.” She patted her daughter tenderly, and beside her, uncle Mori was nodding along too. “I was surprised at the speed of things, but… you aren’t unhappy, are you, little Eri?”

  “Of course not.” she decred proudly, head held high, her timid nature brushed aside as she stroked her e ring. “I did it gdly, and I’ll do it again, whenever he wants…” At that she grew quiet, flushed with shame.

  “Tell me you at least used prote. You have to think of your future.” dad said, still clearly unhappy.

  “I refused. I wanted my first time to be perfect, and if… if I was to be with child…” She was so red I expected steam to e out of her ears, but Eri steeled herself and tinued, despite the tension building around the table. “… then it was meant to be, and I’ll raise it with love, beside Akio, forever.”

  “Silly girl.” Dad was so mad his face had turned white. Still, he couldn’t take it out on Eri, so… “That son of mine, he is an adult, he should have refused you. If you get pregnant, there goes your future. No further education, no work, no…”

  “Oh please.” Eri cut in, and I was shocked once more at just how… barbed… her tone was. “Do calm down, uncle. No, father-in-w. I uand it was foolish, but I also uand I’m a very erson. I’ve learhis, and I want to ge. Aiko tht?”

  As she looked at me I nodded. “Yeah, we ’t stay weak forever.” Not here, or in that strange nd even Eri has visited. Damn, I wish I had her luck…

  “I needed reassurance, and it sounds wrong, I know, potentially having a child for that reason. It is wrong. I get that. But I was too scared that if I didn’t tie him to me, he’d go away again. Still, as I said, I’ll raise the child together with Akio, and when its older we’ll tell him or her that she was ceived on a wonderful night where we shared everything. If it is not to be, well then, we’ll be using prote from now on, until the time is right.”

  Hearing Eri use words like ceived and prote lenty shog, but she wasn’t done, having gathered a head of steam, she out everything in her heart, in defence of her feelings and also big bro.

  “As for my future. What future? So I’m a good student, but even if we had the money for further education, which we don’t, we all know I’d never survive it. I’m terminally shy, it would be a living nightmare for me…”

  “You don’t seem so shy now, daughter-in-w.” My mother said, interrupting. “But you aren’t wrong. Taichi, dear, hear her out, okay?”

  “Thanks auntie. Anyway…” Eri tinued. “I would have to get a job here in town, something quiet and without many people. I might make a little money, but… I’d art a family, have a boyfriend. I told myself I only wanted Akio, and that was true even during all the time he was gone.”

  “Nonseime would have ged things. Akio may be my son, but I’m not blind to his fws. There are ood men out there.” dad grumbled, unvinced.

  “Maybe so. I don’t know the future, but my heart says not. Still, even if you are right, what future is that for me? Modest, humble… empty. How is any of that parable to being married to the one I love, g for a child? Besides, I do know what I’m going to do with my life. I’ve never been surer of anything. Not only will I be his wife, but I’ll support Akio in his pany. I’m smart, everyone says so, so I’ll learn, whatever it is he needs, and if that means I have to deal with other people, if it’s for him… no, for us, then I’ll face it. So please, father-in-w, never say what we’ve done is foolish. It is far from foolish, it’s the mht thing we’ve done in our entire lives!”

  With her long speech finished she was exhausted, and slumped down embarrassed, only for her parents to hug her, g. I found my eyes shedding tears too, and mom was biting on her handkerchief, sapphire eyes moist as well. Only dad remained unmoved, yet even his anger had receded, his colour returning.

  “That’s my little girl!” auntie Mori sniffled. “I worried you were too quiet, that I’d raised y. But if you go for what you want like that, I’ve no s. Don’t worry, if you are pregnant, I’ll support you fully! And if not…” She whispered something in her ear, and Eri blushed a near fluorest red, nodding. All I could catch was “… ’t leave it up to him, we’ll visit the pharma Inuyama soon…”

  “As for school, I’ll call them first thing in the m.” uncle Mori said jovially. “Don’t worry over anything, my daughter, I’ll tell them you have parental sent for the e, so there’ll be no disciplinary a. You might have to not wear y though…”

  “Don’t worry, big bro has somehow learnt to be charming now!” I giggled. “He bought her a sed ring, a pin band one, which isn’t against school rules. I think he just wao make sure everyone knew Eri was his now.”

  “Aiko!” Eri protested, and we all ughed again, except for dad, who looked lost in thought.

  “Oh, Taichi, ’t you see you’ve lost? You may have pints, but they’ve both thought about this. We may not approve, but why not just celebrate it? He did buy you those bottles of the expensive whiskey you liked. Why not break it open so we celebrate with the Mori’s? Our two families, joi st!” Mom tried t dad around, happy for my bro and Eri.

  “Big bro said you could call him and he’d answer all your questions.” I piped up as he was thinking. “He hasn’t dohis lightly. I always knew bro would do great things. This is just my faith in him being proved right. A sister is never wrong about her brother, don't you agree Eri?”

  “Not one as bro as you, anyway!” she ughed, causio protest back jovially. At the se of everyone around him, my dad let out a long, painful sigh. Turning to mom he nodded. “Very well, open a bottle. I shall call my errant son and see what he has to say. But you are right, done is done, and as a daughter-in-w, I have no pints with you, Eri-san.”

  “You should call me Eri now, you too, auntie Emily… no, mother-in-w.” Eri said, and with that the party started. I was stuck with juice of course, as was Eri, but even so, it was really nice…

  ***

  “I ’t say I am satisfied by your expnations.” My dad pined, on the phoo big bro, a near-empty gss of whiskey beside him. Mom was talking to uncle and auntie about wedding dresses and other things that were causing Eri no end of torment, leaviwitg with embarrassment, but she deserved it for being all lovey-dovey with my bro.

  “School finishes early this week on Friday si is the first week of term, and sihere is a reduced css on Saturday she would miss little… so, we shall all be travelling to Tokyo to see you. What, yes, yes, you make the arras for aodation. It doesn’t o be anythiravagant. It just o be , as your mother and the Mirls will be there.”

  Hey, what about me? No fair leavi. As I met dad’s gaze pleadingly, he sighed, listening. “Yes, you are correct. Your sister clearly wants to e too. Fine, fine. I shall allow it. Make the arras… wait, you wa who? The Takeyabashi girl from the shrine? Why? Business-reted? I’ll uand when I see your new workpce? You had better be ving, I am full of misgivings…”

  As the versation tinued, my dad giving my bro a real hard time, not that I expected anything else, I made up my own mind. This was as good a time as any to discuss my future. Eri, my bro and I, we were the three musketeers of Nishimorioka. And I didn’t want that to end any time soon. One day, maybe, but not yet. No, there’s still too much to see and do, more than I ever could have dreamed of a short few weeks ago. And I’ll be damned if I’m not there seeing it with them… and not just to be the perfect sister for Akio, the ohought he wanted. No, because I want to, for me, for Eri and for him…

  “Very well, I am trusting that you are not being foolish and shoulder this. I admit, it will be o return to Tokyo, it has been quite a while, and the Mori’s could use a break. Very well. Yes. Yes that’s right. I shall bring the shrine girl, once I have spoken trandfather. All right. I shall see you Friday then.”

  Ending the call my dad looked tired. I decided to score some points before my own bombshell, so I topped up his gss from the bottle and ha to him. “There you go dad, that souough. About Takeyabashi-san though, we were there for some of it. Big bro has a lot of work with traditional shri the moment, so it’s legit, I promise.”

  “That makes no sense, how does his industry ect with…” Before dad could get off track, I held up a hand.

  “Hey, everyone. I’d like to discuss something myself, if I may?”

  “Oh God, tell me you aren’t pregnant too, Ai! My heart couldn’t take the shock!” Damn, mom’s drunk. She never could handle her booze. And plus, we don’t know if Eri is pregna. It usually takes more than one go, doesn’t it?

  “Eww, gross, no way, I’m as pure as winter snow!” I protested. “No, I just have been giving my future some real thought. I think… no I know…” Everyone was watg me, making me nervous, but the smile Eri was givi was a knowing one. She mouthed something silently at me then.

  “Do your best! I’ll… no we… will support you!”

  Thanks. I guess we added a musketeer, just like in that film with D’Artagnan. Add Shaeu and there are four of us now…

  “So, I’m going to try for a sports Uy in Tokyo. I’d like to get a schorship if I , si’s expe… if not I keep costs down living with my bro and Eri. You don’t mind, do you?”

  Eri shook her head. “Not at all, we’d be happy to have you.”

  “Before it was just a pipe-dream, I’ve seen his old apartment, and it’s really small. But now things are looking up… besides, I think I do it. I’ve always loved sport, moving my body. I’m not so smart… hey, I know I’m no dummy, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve always been more of an a girl, right?”

  My mom nodded, and the gaze of my dad ainful, yet he remained silent, judging my siy. “Even if I don’t make it to the top, which to be ho, I doubt I will, after all, I’ve not actually won any tours yet, even if I’ve been to some…” Though if I could just ehat world, that might ge… big bro did…

  “… well, there’s still sports coag, dietis, physical education teachers… there’s lots I could do, and I think I’d like.” More importantly, I be of use. We’ll all stand together, having each other’s backs.

  “… besides, what’s true for Eri is true for me too. After all, what future is in this town for the young, really? Getting married to one of the guys around here? Eww, no way. I want someo least as good as Eri has bagged.” I winked. “For the sake of my love life I o move to the big city anyway. Don’t get me wrong, there are things to like here, but now that I know what’s out there, I o see it for myself!”

  “I get that.” uncle Mori nodded. “We weren’t all as lucky as your father, going abroad and finding a beautiful wife there. Not that I’m dissatisfied with you, my dear!”

  Auntie Mori snorted. “I should think not. But we do get it. We want little Eri and you, little Aiko, to have lives better than we did. I think you are both doing very well towards that goal.”

  My mom nodded reassuringly, and my dad was just looking at me. In the end he nodded, and I felt relief rush through me.

  “It will be hard.” he promised sternly, and I agreed.

  “I know. I’m ready for that. So long as I’ve got Eri, and big bro, and you guys, and even Shaeu in my er, I do it!”

  “In that case, I shall support you. But just words are easy. I want to see as. If I think you are not serious…” dad warned, and I quickly reassured him.

  “I get it, I do, I do!” Wait for me, big bro, Shaeu. For Eri too. We’ll catch up, even if we have to work ourselves to the bone!