Grave visit

“Get ready, we’re going to Grandma’s for a grave visit.”

“Huh? Today?”

I was relaxing in my room when Mom suddenly dropped that on me.

“That’s right. Wait, didn’t you hear anything about this?”

“Uh… hear what?”

The sudden invitation threw me off completely.

It’s not like today was for tutoring, but Manami had told me to keep my schedule open…

Oh, so that’s what this is about.

“The Takanishi family lives in the same direction—well, practically next door—so we’re going together.”

“Got it.”

Manami…

I swore to myself that next time she tells me to keep my schedule free, I’ll make sure to ask exactly what we’re doing.

◇

“Hey, Kouki-nii!”

“Manami… that looks good on you.”

“Ehehe!”

Manami was waving at me, rocking a big straw hat and a dress that screamed summer.

She looked like the textbook definition of a kid on summer break. I could totally see her with a bug net or something. Knowing Manami, she’d probably show up with one later…

“Kouki…”

Aisa called out to me.

She was also wearing a wide-brimmed hat, her dress fluttering in the breeze.

From behind her, Manami was mouthing, “Com-pli-ment!”

“Aisa, you… look good too.”

“Thanks…”

Aisa quickly pressed her hat down, hiding her face as she turned away, but Manami was nodding smugly, so I guess I nailed it.

Her summer vibe was totally different from Manami’s, in its own way.

It’s like… she could be on some kind of poster or something.

“Hey, quit gawking at Aisa-chan and get to cleaning!”

“I know, I know.”

If I engage with Mom’s teasing, it’ll only lead to trouble, so I let it slide.

This place is so rural it might as well be the middle of nowhere. Just forests, rice paddies, and graves around here.

By the way, both families’ graves are literally right next to each other.

Our moms are probably childhood friends or something. I haven’t asked for the details, so I don’t know for sure.

Both families’ dads couldn’t make it today… or rather, since these are our moms’ family graves, it seems they didn’t even bother coordinating with the dads, so I’m the only guy here.

“Sorry, Kouki.”

“Nah, cleaning one grave or two’s basically the same.”

“Hehe, if Kouki-kun marries into our family, we’d be relatives, right?”

“Wait, Mom!?”

Takanishi-san swooped in out of nowhere and dropped that bombshell.

I kept my mouth shut to avoid poking the hornet’s nest and just focused on cleaning both graves and paying our respects.

Since it’s her maiden name, even if I did marry in, it’d feel a bit distant, right…?

Still, for some reason, I ended up feeling weirdly nervous during the visit.

◇

“Oh, Kouki-nii, welcome back!”

“I’m back… wait, isn’t this my grandma’s house?”

After that, I got roped into helping with some farm work and only just made it back…

Why is Manami lounging here like it’s her own place?

“Haha, turns out my grandparents forgot we were coming and went out somewhere, so they told us to chill here.”

“I see.”

Well, this old house is a sprawling one-story, so it’s not like a few extra people would cramp things up.

“Hehe, Onee-chan’s in the bath right now, y’know?”

“Cool.”

“Ugh, your reaction’s so lame!”

If I take her seriously, I’ll just end up the fool. Like I’ve got time to play along!

Before Manami could say anything else, I changed the subject.

“Where’s Mom and the others?”

They’d dumped—er, entrusted—the farm work to me and left early, so I didn’t see Mom or Grandma around.

“Probably in the kitchen?”

This house is so huge it’s kind of ridiculous…

“Got it. I’m grabbing some drinks. Want one, Manami?”

“Yup! Calpis, extra strong!”

“Coming right up.”

The house is big, but I know where the kitchen is, and I definitely won’t accidentally wander into the bathroom where Aisa’s at.

Or so I thought, completely letting my guard down.

I decided to take a shortcut through one of the rooms instead of the hallway and slid open the door…

“Oh…”

“Oh… haha, sorry, Kouki-kun. Didn’t mean to show you anything weird.”

Takanishi-san was in the middle of changing.

She was down to her underwear, bent over like she was either taking off or putting on a skirt.

“Uh… sorry!”

“No, no, my bad. I got a bit sweaty, so I was just changing…”

“Uh, well…”

My brain froze, and I had no idea what to do.

Then I heard footsteps, snapping me back to reality.

But… by then, the owner of those footsteps was already right behind me.

“Oh, Kouki… what are you doing?”

Fresh out of the bath, Aisa was glaring at me with half-lidded eyes.

◇

“So… it was just… a coincidence…”

Having successfully grabbed three extra-strong Calpis drinks from the kitchen, I returned to the room with Manami… and was promptly made to sit seiza-style.

“Come on, Kouki-nii didn’t mean it!”

“I… know that, but…”

“What, did you want him to peek at you instead, Onee-chan?”

“What!? Idiot! No way!”

Please, can you two have your sisterly spat later? This is awkward enough…

“I mean, the bathroom’s got a clear view from the garden, right? I left the window wide open when I was in there, so if Kouki-nii’s timing was good, he might’ve gotten a peek!”

“Kouki!”

“Why am I getting yelled at for this!?”

In the end, Manami smoothed things over, and Aisa calmed down, but I still felt like I got chewed out for no reason.

◇

“So, you guys are staying over?”

“Looks like it…”

Apparently, Aisa and Manami’s grandparents are off on a full-blown trip and won’t be back, so they’re crashing here.

Grandma was thrilled to have more people around, so I guess it’s fine.

Grandpa’s been gone for a while, so she’s been alone this whole time.

“Then I’m sleeping in Kou-nii’s room!”

“No way, obviously!”

Manami was spouting nonsense, and Aisa was quick to shut her down.

But Manami, being Manami, seemed to have a plan.

“There’s a perfectly good reason for this, Onee-chan.”

“Reason?”

Manami’s brimming with confidence.

Aisa’s tilting her head in confusion.

This pattern… somehow, it always ends with Manami dragging everyone into her pace.

“There’s something we wanna do at night, right?”

“Doing it at night… what’s going through your head!?”

“Ehh!? Onee-chan, you’re so naughty!”

Aisa’s face flushed red as she started flapping her hands in a panic.

Manami had completely taken control of the situation. I decided to stay quiet to avoid digging myself into a deeper hole.

“Come on, come on, coming all the way out to the boonies like this, there’s only one thing to do at night, right?”

“I mean, that’s… um… Kouki! Say something!”

“Uh…”

My silent strategy crumbled almost immediately.

Honestly, Manami’s totally teasing her on purpose.

Aisa, blushing and flustering, is adorable, but… that’s probably what Manami’s aiming for.

Still, if I play along with her here, it’s obvious things will spiral out of control, so I threw out a lifeline.

“Look, knowing Manami, she probably just wants to go catch some beetles or something.”

I meant it as a joke to lighten the mood, but…

“Bingo! Kou-nii, you nailed it! We came all the way out here, so we gotta bring back at least one or two beetles!”

“Seriously!?”

“Don’t worry! I’ve already scoped out the trees around here, and I know the safe paths too!”

“You’re too prepared…”

“Back home, we can only catch beetles, but out here, I bet we can find stag beetles! Like Miyama stag beetles!”

I have no idea what gets Manami so fired up, but her energy is through the roof.

Well, it’s not like I don’t get it. Miyama stag beetles are pretty cool.

But I’m pretty sure Aisa wouldn’t understand, and honestly, I’m still wrapping my head around why Manami’s so hyped about Miyama stag beetles in the first place.

“So, anyway, I wanna move at midnight, so I’m gonna sleep in Kou-nii’s room and have him wake me up!”

“No way… get Aisa to wake you up.”

“Onee-chan’s too much of a goody-two-shoes to stay up late. Plus, would she even get up for beetle hunting? Would you, Onee-chan?”

“Uh? Well…”

Aisa’s not great with bugs, huh. No way she’d go out of her way for that.

Still, though…

“There’s an extra room, so just sleep next to mine, Manami. I’ll move the futon over.”

“Aww…”

“By the way, I’ll try to get up too, but if you oversleep, I’m not dragging you along.”

“No way! I’ll make sure to get up…!”

“Just to check, Aisa, you…”

“Um… well… if I can get up.”

Aisa mumbled, sounding unsure.

“Well! Before that, we’ve got an event lined up!”

“An event…?”

Manami shot to her feet.

I thought we were just gonna take a bath and call it a night.

“We came all the way here, so it’d be a waste not to hit the hot springs, right?”

“I already took a bath, though…”

“But come on, it’s a hot spring!”

“Well… that does sound tempting.”

Come to think of it, there are a few hidden hot springs nearby…

I haven’t been in a while, and even when I come back home, I don’t usually make the trip, so I forgot about them.

“Let’s go, Kou-nii!”

“Alright, alright, stop pulling me.”

Manami, bursting with excitement, grabbed my hand and yanked me to my feet.

She’s got some serious strength… I always wonder where she gets that kind of power, but thinking about it’s pointless. It’s just Manami being Manami.

“Aisa, you coming?”

While Manami held one of my hands, I reached out to Aisa with the other.

“Yeah…”

Aisa took my hand and stood up.

I reached out without thinking, but as she stood, it hit me.

This is…

“Hey, why don’t we all just hold hands and head out like this?”

Manami’s having a blast, which is fine, but Aisa’s face is bright red. And, honestly, mine probably is too…

“Oh! But I didn’t bring anything! Kou-nii, grab some towels and shampoo, please! I’ll go get my underwear!”

Manami let go of my hand in a flash.

Left behind, we…

“Um… I’ll go get ready too.”

“Right…”

Did I imagine it, or did Aisa seem just a little reluctant to let go of my hand?

◇

“Phew…”

Mom and the others decided to chill at home, so it’s just the three of us at the hot spring.

We parted ways at the changing room, and now I’m relaxing alone in the men’s bath.

We walked down a dark country road with just a flashlight to guide us, but the unusual, almost surreal vibe was kind of fun in its own way.

“Guess I was more tired than I thought…”

Between cleaning the family grave and doing farm work, all that physical labor left my muscles surprisingly sore.

Coming to the hot spring might’ve been a good call in more ways than one.

“This is reviving me…”

I was savoring the hot spring for a while, but that was as long as it lasted.

“Come on, Onee-chan, hurry up!”

“Hold on! You’re the one who wanted to stop for milk first…”

“Huh…?”

Wait, hold up.

This is the men’s bath. I double-checked.

And yet, those voices aren’t coming from the other side of a partition.

I quickly moved to the opposite side of the large rock in the center of the spring.

“Phew… this feels amazing, Onee-chan!”

“I know, I know…”

No doubt about it—on the other side of this rock, both of them are there.

“Huh?”

Manami’s voice piped up.

“Kou-nii!”

“Hey! That’s rude! Don’t just shout like that!”

“Haha, oops. But where’s the men’s bath? Besides, there’s no one else here but us!”

“Well, that’s true, but… yeah, I can’t find the men’s bath either.”

Guess I should speak up… I’ll probably get woozy from the heat before they do anyway.

Keeping out of sight behind the rock, I called out.

“Uh, Aisa.”

“K-Kouki… wait, what!? Right now…!?”

Aisa immediately panicked, and I could hear the water splashing as she flailed.

“Calm down! I can’t see you guys from here!”

“Oh… but, wait, then this…”

“I’m probably on the other side of the rock you’re looking at.”

“How did… wait, does that mean this is a mixed bath now…?”

“Probably…”

This place is a small, unmanned hot spring, and who even manages it is anyone’s guess.

You put money in a donation box at the entrance, and that’s about it—there’s just a vending machine for drinks nearby.

My memory of coming here before is so hazy, I’m not even sure if this is the same place.

Since Mom and the others didn’t say anything, they probably didn’t know about the mixed bathing. They’d definitely stop us if they did… right?

I totally let my guard down.

“Oh, you’re right! Yoohoo, Kouki-nii!”

“Hold up, Manami!?”

“Oi, why the heck are you coming over here!?”

I was so lost in thought I didn’t notice Manami sneaking closer.

“Oh! I forgot I’m naked too!”

Manami quickly ducks out of sight.

The steam made it hard to see clearly, but I kinda caught her outline… No, nope, gotta forget that.

“Ehehe, oopsie.”

“Oopsie, my foot!”

“Sorry, sorry! Wanna come over too, Onee-chan?”

“Don’t say stupid things!”

“I got scolded~”

Manami’s cheerful voice echoes through the steam.

It’s a relief she doesn’t seem to care about being seen, but I wish she’d be a bit more careful…

“Um, Kouki?”

“Yeah… what’s up?”

Thanks to—or because of—Manami, Aisa’s calmed down a bit and calls out to me.

“Well… it might be awkward, but since we’re here, don’t you think we should both enjoy the hot springs?”

“Yeah, exactly! Come over here, Kou-nii!”

“No, that’s not what I meant! Hold on, Kouki!?”

“I get it! I’m not coming over, don’t worry.”

Manami really knows how to stir things up.

But Aisa getting all flustered because of her is kinda cute…

“If we don’t overdo it, wanna just keep talking like this?”

“If it’s okay with you guys.”

“Of course!”

“You, stay over there, got it!?”

“Hahaha!”

I’ll just trust Aisa to keep an eye on Manami.

Or so I thought, but stopping a whirlwind like Manami is impossible.

“Oh! I’m gonna go wash my hair first, so you two take your time, Onee-chan!”

Even through the rocks, I can tell Manami’s gone before anyone could stop her.

Well, as long as she’s not coming over here, it’s fine…

But being made so aware of the two of them in this situation…

“Aisa…?”

“Huh…? Um, what?”

“No, it’s just…”

I blank on what to say next.

“Earlier…”

Aisa tries to pick up the conversation, searching for a topic.

“Earlier?”

“When Manami went over there, did you… see anything?”

“Huh?”

The unexpected question throws me off, and then I hear a splash from Aisa’s side.

“You saw, didn’t you!?”

“No, no! The steam blocked almost everything!”

“So you saw a little!?”

“No… I didn’t see, I didn’t see!”

“I see…”

From the sounds, it seems she’s satisfied and sits back down.

But then, for some reason, I hear Aisa getting closer.

“Hey, is it okay if I come a bit closer?”

“Aisa!?”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going all the way to where you are. Just a little closer.”

“Oh… okay.”

For a split second, I feel a twinge of disappointment, but I shove it to the back of my mind.

“Phew… You’re leaning against the rocks too, right, Kouki? Probably.”

“Yeah.”

“I kinda wanted to try that too.”

“Got it.”

We both sit, separated by the rocks.

A silence falls, but feeling her presence nearby makes it less awkward than before.

As I start to relax, Aisa speaks up.

“Hey, when was the last time we came here together?”

“Hmm…”

I try to dig through my memories, but it feels like it’s been forever.

Even when I visit Grandma’s house, I barely see Aisa and the others anymore…

“I can’t really remember either, but did we come here together before?”

“Who knows…”

“I mean, back then, we used to take baths together, right?”

“Yeah, that happened…”

“Never thought we’d end up in a bath together again.”

Yeah, no kidding…

“Thanks, Kouki.”

“What’s that all of a sudden?”

“Um… just a thank you for always? I guess I can only be honest like this in moments like these…”

I think back to that time at the pool.

Maybe she means moments like that.

“Thank you too.”

“Huh!? Why are you thanking me…?”

I’m surprised that she’s genuinely shocked.

“Because I have fun being with you, Aisa. That’s why.”

“…I see.”

We exchange thanks for reasons neither of us fully understands, then lean against the rocks in silence. Aisa’s probably doing the same.

“I might be getting a bit lightheaded.”

“Yeah… you should probably get out.”

“What about you, Kouki?”

“I’ll stay a bit longer… No, maybe I should get out too.”

I did get in first, after all.

“Got it. Let’s circle the rocks clockwise to switch places.”

“Yeah… You okay, Aisa? And Manami…”

“Oh…”

Just as I’m wondering what to do, Manami’s voice cuts through.

“Oh! Sounds like you guys are having fun!”

Manami comes splashing over.

“Stop! Any closer and it’ll be a repeat of earlier!”

“Okay~”

Looks like Aisa stopped her this time.

“Kouki’s getting out first, so we’re talking about switching places like this.”

“A chase!?”

“If you catch up, it defeats the purpose!”

With our usual banter, we manage to leave the bath without any incidents.

“Huh…?”

Watching Aisa and Manami, thinking this feels so normal… when was the last time I felt like this?

“We’ve been together a lot, huh…?”

Come to think of it, since summer break started, we’ve practically been inseparable.

“I guess so…”

It’s not like it means anything big, but for some reason, it makes me happy—a strange, warm feeling as I wait for the two of them.

◇

“Kou-nii, Kou-nii, wake up.”

A whisper tickles my ear. It feels like I just got back from the hot spring and slipped into bed… Wait, it probably was just a moment ago.

“Manami, huh?”

“Whoa! Don’t turn toward me so suddenly, or we’ll end up kissing!”

“What?”

Those words snap me awake instantly.

“Why are you so close…?”

“Ehehe… Time to head out?”

I open my eyes to find Manami straddling me, her face way too close.

This is her way of waking me up…

“What time is it?”

“Four o’clock! It’s about to get light, so we gotta hurry!”

“Alright, alright.”

The bug-catching trip we promised. Manami’s bursting with energy.

And, as expected, Aisa didn’t wake up…

According to Manami, the best time would’ve been around ten at night, but a dark mountain path is obviously too dangerous, so we settled on dawn instead.

Apparently, you can catch stag beetles during the day too… Manami’s teaching me all sorts of weird stuff.

“You ready?”

“All set! Here’s your stuff too, Kou-nii!”

“You’re scary good at this kind of thing…”

“Ehehe~”

Flashlight, bug net, insect cage, drinks, and more…

She’s got everything perfectly prepared.

“Hurry, hurry!”

“Okay, okay.”

Despite myself, I’m getting excited as we head out into the faintly brightening morning.

◇

“Let’s hold hands so we don’t get separated!”

“Sure thing.”

It’s totally like walking a kid.

It’s still dim, but there’s just enough sunlight to walk without the flashlight.

“First checkpoint’s over there!”

“The vending machine…?”

“Ding-ding! There’s probably a few bugs there!”

“Oi, don’t run off!”

She says not to get separated, then does this…

I chase after her, and Manami’s already putting her prize in the insect cage.

“Found one!”

“There really are bugs here…”

“Haven’t you seen those traps, Kou-nii? Like a white cloth with a light shining on it?”

“Oh… I think I saw something like that in a book once…”

“Vending machines are like those! This one’s probably a small stag beetle. Next spot!”

“Wait, no break!?”

“Hahaha!”

It’s painfully clear that Manami’s got more stamina and speed than me, but my pride as a guy—and more importantly, my need to keep her safe—pushes me to keep up.

Oak trees, vending machines, more oak trees…

We hit Manami’s pre-scouted checkpoints one by one.

“At this brightness, there probably aren’t any left around the vending machines.”

“Found one!”

“How are you finding them in the same spots I’m looking!?”

It’s like Manami’s seeing a completely different world—she’s spotting bugs left and right.

Her cage is already packed with over ten bugs, while I’ve only got one kabuto beetle that flew right into me.

“Ehehe! The last spot’s the real deal!”

With that, Manami grabs my hand and pulls me along.

She’s careful not to jostle the bugs in her cage, so she’s not running, but her walking pace is still faster than mine.

“Here?”

“Yup!”

The final spot is under a massive, majestic tree.

“Kou-nii, look, look!”

“Whoa!”

Sap’s oozing from the base of the tree, and a ton of bugs are gathered there.

Green beetles, butterflies, kabuto beetles, stag beetles—all crawling around together.

“Ehehe! So many! I’m glad we came!”

“By the way, what’re you gonna do with these?”

“Hmm? I’m gonna give them to the little kids around here tomorrow!”

“Oh, got it.”

I thought she’d keep them, but apparently not.

“I’m busy with club stuff a lot, and asking Onee-chan to take care of them would be tough.”

“Yeah, Aisa wouldn’t handle that well.”

“So, I figured it’d be nice to let kids who want to raise living things have that experience!”

“Makes sense…”

For a moment, Manami’s childish expression seems almost mature.

Something about it makes my heart skip a beat.

But just as quickly, she’s back to her usual self.

“Oh! Look, there’s more over there! Hurry, Kou-nii!”

She’s a kid again, tugging at my hand with that same old grin.

Manami really shows so many sides of herself…

“Alright, slow down a bit…”

“No way! The kabuto beetles will get away!”

As she turns back to me, pulling my hand, Manami glows in the morning sunlight.