~Interlude 2~ Hoshimiya Sei's Determination
After playing at the pool.
It was nighttime. Back home, the sisters had bathed, eaten dinner, and settled down.
Sei proposed something to her sister.
“It’s a bit early, but wanna sleep soon?”
“…Understood,” Hime nodded.
But her eyes were unfocused, which worried Sei.
(She’s spacing out.)
Hime had been off since they got home.
Maybe she was exhausted from the pool’s events. Thinking that, Sei decided to turn off the lights early.
Not completely dark, though. Leaving the nightlight on was their usual routine.
Well, it was more for Sei, who disliked the dark.
Thanks to it, their faces were faintly visible in the dim glow.
“…Hime-chan, not sleeping?” Sei asked.
About ten minutes had passed.
Peeking through half-closed eyes, Sei noticed Hime wasn’t trying to sleep, which started to concern her.
“Maybe you’re too tired to sleep?” she ventured.
“…No, that’s not it,” Hime said.
She looked at Sei with a puzzled expression, placing a hand on her chest and tilting her head.
She clearly had something on her mind.
“Onee-chan… I’m a bit anxious about something,” Hime said.
“Anxious? Eh, what!? Hime-chan, are you feeling sick…?” Sei asked, alarmed.
“Maybe. My body feels strange,” Hime replied.
Hime rarely said things to worry others.
She’d endure discomfort until the last moment.
Hearing this, Sev paled instantly.
(Something happened when she almost drowned…!)
She’d get Hime’s condition, then ask Mei-chan to take them to the hospital.
Resolved, Sei listened closely.
Hime hesitated briefly but then, with determination, murmured, “My heart won’t stop racing.”
She took Sei’s hand and pressed it to her chest.
Thump, thump.
Her heart was pounding strongly. Not fast, but the beats were pronounced.
(A racing heart! Racing… that’s like ‘dokidoki,’ right?)
At first, Sei panicked, thinking it was serious.
But realizing “racing heart” meant dokidoki, she suddenly calmed down.
(Wait. Dokidoki… could it be…?)
One reason came to mind.
“Is this an illness? I don’t feel unwell, but it’s so persistent it’s unsettling,” Hime said.
“Um… when did it start?” Sei asked.
“I think… since I slipped at the pool,” Hime said.
That wasn’t wrong.
But from another angle, it could be described differently.
“When Youhei saved you, right?” Sei said.
“…!” Hime flinched.
At Youhei’s name, she clutched her chest tightly.
“It just spiked. Maybe it is an illness,” she said.
“Hmm. Yeah, an illness, huh,” Sei said.
Sei understood.
She knew why her sister’s heart was racing.
(Hime-chan’s totally in love, isn’t she…!?)
Reacting to Youhei’s name with dokidoki—it was unmistakably love.
Mistaking it for an illness was such an old-fashioned reaction, like something out of a vintage romance manga.
(…True, being saved in a pinch could make those feelings grow fast.)
Since that moment, Hime had been spacing out occasionally. Sei realized it was because her feelings for Youhei had deepened.
And this was a turning point.
(Should I tell her? Or brush it off?)
Which was best for Hime?
Sei faced a weighty choice.
“…This is bad. It’s getting worse. Maybe we should ask Mei-san to take me to the hospital,” Hime said.
“Whoa, hold on. You probably don’t need a hospital,” Sei said.
She hadn’t expected Hime to be so affected just thinking of Youhei. Delaying an answer would be tough now.
Something was clearly up with Hime.
(I can’t leave this to Mei-chan… She’s clueless about love too.)
The Hoshimiya family’s maid, Itō Mei. Usually dependable, but when it came to romance, she seemed hopeless.
Shy to a fault and seemingly uninterested in relationships, she’d likely rush Hime to the hospital without realizing it was love. Sei decided Mei wouldn’t understand.
So, Sei had to face this head-on.
“But it’s strange for my heart to race like this,” Hime insisted.
“It’s, uh, because of Youhei, don’t you think?” Sei said.
“Youhei-kun’s fault?” Hime asked, blinking.
She looked clueless, and Sei couldn’t help a wry smile.
(She’s usually so quick, but love’s still a mystery to her…)
If Hime had picked up on it, explaining would’ve been easier.
Sei hoped the genius girl would catch on, but… no such luck.
“I don’t think it’s Youhei-kun’s fault,” Hime said.
“But doesn’t thinking of him make your chest tight, like it’s hard to breathe?” Sei asked.
“That… might be true,” Hime admitted.
Sei eased her into awareness.
Still unsure whether to deflect, Sei decided to at least help her understand the situation.
“When you think of Youhei, your chest squeezes, your body heats up, your breathing gets rough, right?” Sei said.
“Amazing. Are you psychic, Onee-chan?” Hime said, awed.
Usually, Hime gave Sei exasperated looks, but now her eyes sparkled with admiration. It was flattering, but her pure reaction meant she still didn’t get it.
(I’ve got no real love experience either. It’s all from dramas and manga…)
Sei was popular with guys. She knew it and had been confessed to before.
But she preferred sleep and food over romance. Better than Mei, but Sei wasn’t exactly qualified to guide anyone in love.
(Well, there’s one guy I thought might be nice to date.)
Problem was, it was the same guy Hime loved. Sei hadn’t fully sorted her own feelings about that.
(N-Nope, I can’t do this.)
She lacked confidence to guide an oblivious Hime.
Right now, Sei felt too wishy-washy.
(Youhei and Hime-chan are doing fine as is… Keeping things like this is better, right?)
Sei’s conclusion: brush it off.
That, she thought, was Hime’s happiest path.
“You had so much fun with Youhei, you’re still excited~ It’ll calm down with time,” Sei said.
“…True, it was really fun. I am excited… Maybe it’s just my emotions acting up,” Hime said.
Hime was honest.
She nodded, accepting Sei’s words without doubt.
(Okay. Dodged that for now.)
As a sister, Sei felt inadequate for not guiding her properly.
But this was the best choice for now.
Deciding that, Sei tried to change the subject entirely.
But Hime cut in with a murmur.
“It means Youhei-kun is special to me, right?” she said.
Special. Hime was aware she saw Youhei as someone important.
Yet she didn’t realize she was in love. Sei couldn’t fathom why—until Hime’s next words.
“—Youhei-kun’s someone I love as much as Onee-chan,” she said.
As much as Onee-chan.
Sei’s eyes widened.
(Wait… Is Hime-chan’s ‘love’ ranked with me at the top?)
For Hime, ‘love’ meant familial affection.
She only knew the love she felt for her sister. Even with Mei, it was akin to family… That’s why she didn’t understand romantic love.
She simply didn’t know it existed.
It all clicked.
(That’s why Hime-chan wants me to marry Youhei and become his sister-in-law…)
If familial affection was Hime’s ultimate expression of love…
Then becoming a sister-in-law might mean more to her than being a lover.
(When Youhei said he’d want her as a little sister, she was thrilled… That’s why, isn’t it?)
About three months ago, when Hime introduced Youhei at home, she’d excitedly shared his words.
Sei hadn’t thought much of it then. But if Hime saw familial love as the highest form, those words carried deeper weight.
(To Hime-chan, it was like a proposal…!)
The dots connected into a line.
Sei finally understood Hime’s feelings, which she’d struggled to empathize with before.
Hime wasn’t unaware.
She knew she loved Youhei but misunderstood the feeling.
She saw her love for him as the same as her love for Sei.
(…This is fine as is, right?)
For Hime now, this was her happiest state.
She’d even be happier becoming a sister than a lover. If so, she might celebrate if Sei dated Youhei.
Then there was no need to say anything.
That way, Sei could… ignore the budding feelings she’d started to have.
For both Sei and Hime, staying silent was best.
“Hime-chan, I think you like Youhei as a boy,” Sei said.
But unconsciously, she’d said it.
Her head knew better. Staying quiet would keep things smooth and convenient for her too.
But Sei was Hime’s big sister.
(For Hime-chan now, silence might be best. But for her future self… she’d regret it.)
Sei wished for Hime’s happiness above all.
Her own happiness hinged on Hime’s.
For that, she could dismiss her faint feelings for Youhei. They weren’t serious anyway—not compared to Hime’s.
They weren’t worth weighing against her sister’s joy. Sei brushed them aside.
“Hime-chan, you’re in love,” she said.
It felt like a sudden resolve.
She’d been agonizing, her words lacking confidence, unable to state things firmly.
But now, she could say it clearly.
“Love?” Hime asked.
“Yup. You want to be Youhei’s lover,” Sei said.
“…I don’t really understand,” Hime murmured, pursing her lips.
Her expression wasn’t happy. She still wasn’t convinced.
“Hime-chan, listen. The way you love me and the way you love Youhei—they’re different,” Sei explained.
“Even though it’s the same ‘love’?” Hime asked.
Hime thought logically.
She grasped clear principles quickly. But emotions, being vague, were her weak spot.
Patiently, Sei continued explaining.
“There are different kinds of ‘love,’” she said.
“…But wanting to be lovers means loving someone the most, right? I love Onee-chan and Youhei-kun equally. I can’t compare them,” Hime said.
“You don’t have to compare. You can love us both… I love you too, Hime-chan. But I don’t want you as a lover. And you don’t want me as one either, right?” Sei said.
“That’s true, but…” Hime trailed off.
She looked troubled—rare for her. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand… it was like she didn’t want to.
“I think Onee-chan should marry Youhei-kun,” she said.
Those words helped Sei grasp Hime’s heart.
(Is Hime-chan… pretending not to notice?)
She might be ignoring her own feelings.
Because if she acknowledged them, she’d have to stop pushing for Sei and Youhei to marry.
“…That way, Onee-chan will be happy. Youhei-kun’s wonderful. He’d put my beloved Onee-chan first. So…” Hime said, faltering.
In the end, these sisters cared too much for each other.
That sometimes caused them to miss each other. Despite their deep love, it led to hesitation, throwing their gears out of sync.
Once, Sei had cried alone with Youhei, worried she was a burden to Hime. His comfort had deepened their sisterly bond, keeping it strong.
It was the same now.
Hime cared so much for Sei that she suppressed her feelings.
She prioritized Sei’s happiness, ready to sacrifice her own.
No wonder she was slow to understand. Her sharp mind should’ve caught her feelings early. But she’d avoided it, leading to this moment.
(I’m glad I noticed.)
Sei felt relieved.
At the same time, she felt overwhelming love for her sister… and hugged her tightly.
“O-Onee-chan? What’s wrong?” Hime asked.
“…My happiness is you being happy,” Sei said.
Gently, she corrected Hime’s misunderstanding.
Just as Hime cared deeply for Sei, Sei cared most for Hime, and she wanted her to know that.
“So don’t hold back. You always tell me not to hold back with you, right? If you like Youhei, if you want to be his lover, it’s okay to be honest,” Sei said.
“I’m not holding back. I really…” Hime mumbled.
She tried to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. Honest as she was, lying wasn’t her strength.
“You want to be with Youhei forever, right?” Sei asked.
“…” Hime was silent.
“You think of him and your heart races, it’s hard to breathe, your head feels floaty—you love him that much, don’t you?” Sei pressed.
“…” Hime said nothing.
She looked down, avoiding Sei’s gaze.
But she didn’t deny it. Sei sensed she was close and murmured, “I’m not marrying Youhei. I don’t want to take Hime-chan’s beloved away. If you do nothing, he might date someone else.”
“…” Hime froze.
“He’s not proactive with girls now, but who knows in the future? Is that okay?” Sei asked.
She knew it was a bit mean.
But it made Hime finally speak.
“That’s…” she started.
Her expression shifted—panicked, anxious. Sei’s chest tightened.
Still, she didn’t relent, wanting Hime to be honest.
“Some girl might suddenly fall for Youhei… But if you don’t love him, that’s fine, right?” Sei asked again.
This was her last push. If Hime still denied it, Sei would drop it, laughing it off as a joke.
But—
“No,” Hime said firmly, shaking her head.
She faced Sei’s words head-on, no longer hiding.
“Anyone but Onee-chan… no,” she said.
Hime was baring emotions she’d kept hidden.
Usually calm and mature, now she was emotional, her age showing as she spoke earnestly.
“I know it’s selfish. Who Youhei-kun loves is his choice… But it hurts. I could bear it if it was Onee-chan, but imagining anyone else makes me want to cry… I must be strange,” she said.
“Hime-chan… That’s what love is. It’s liking Youhei as a boy,” Sei said again.
She’d brushed it off before. But now… Hime was accepting her words.
“Liking him as a boy…” Hime murmured.
“Yup. That’s what love is. You’re not strange. Don’t worry,” Sei said.
Inside, Sei was sweating.
(I don’t know much about love either, but that’s it, right? Right!?)
Her knowledge was from dramas and manga, but sisterly pride made her act confident.
Wanting to be a reliable sister worked—Hime believed her without doubt.
“I like Youhei-kun?” Hime asked.
“Yup, definitely. Otherwise, you wouldn’t cling to him like that,” Sei said.
The reason a reserved genius girl opened up only to Youhei?
Because she loved him.
“…I see. That’s why I keep thinking about him,” Hime said.
She nodded, finally accepting her feelings. But her expression remained clouded.
“Onee-chan, what should I do?” she asked.
She was confused.
Facing her first love, she didn’t know how to handle it. Sei smiled softly, patting her head to reassure her.
“Just be yourself, I think. Be honest, don’t hold back, and cling to Youhei,” Sei said.
“Be myself?” Hime asked.
“…Hmm, wait. Being yourself might be a waste. Maybe cling more!” Sei said.
Hime outshone Sei in academics, achievements, and maturity.
So Sei wanted to at least support her sister as a proper big sister.
When Hime was scared, she’d stay close. When she struggled, she’d offer a hand. When she lacked courage, she’d give a push.
This was just that.
(I should’ve helped without overthinking.)
Sei often felt she wasn’t sisterly enough.
But now, she was proud to be supporting Hime.
Because Hime’s eyes were brimming with tears.
“…Onee-chan, Thank you,” Hime said.
Hime never cried.
Sei hadn’t seen her sister’s tears since childhood.
Hime hated burdening others and saw crying as the worst offense. That’s why she always wore a calm, blank expression.
(Was Hime-chan struggling, not knowing what to do?)
Sei had been agonizing. Maybe Hime had been wrestling with her new feelings too.
Thinking that, Sei hugged her tighter, pressing Hime’s face to her chest to hide it.
She’d moved her so her tears wouldn’t be seen, wanting to spare her embarrassment.
“I really love you, Onee-chan,” Hime said.
“Hime-chan…!” Sei’s heart squeezed at her sister’s words.
(My sister’s just too adorable!)
Maybe Sei loved Hime even more than Hime loved her. The reserved girl who always followed her—how could she not be precious?
But even so, Sei had to acknowledge him.
(Youhei, make Hime-chan happy, okay?)
She wouldn’t entrust her beloved sister to just any guy.
She’d been observing Youhei closely. But she felt he was someone she could trust with Hime.
(At the pool, he saved Hime-chan faster than I could… He’s perfect.)
He cared for Hime as much as Sei did—maybe more.
For the first time, Sei met someone who matched her love for Hime.
So she believed.
Youhei could make her precious sister happy.
With that faith, Sei gently stroked Hime’s head—
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