When I first met him, I really wanted to help him.
　Maybe it was because my mom taught me to be kind to people, but even now I don't know the real reason.

　On top of that, I didn't know how to help, and as a little girl I was still trying to think of ways to help.
　As a result, I decided to interpret my mother's words to me again, "You shouldn't do to others what you don't want them to do to you" as follows.

　That means, "You should do what makes you happy.

　When I think about it now, I'm amazed at how childish the idea was.
　But at the time, I didn't doubt that it was the best thing to do.

　As soon as I decided to do so, I gave him the leftover chocolate in the living room to put into action.
　Because I'd learned in health class that taking sugar when you're fatigued will soothe you.
　And as a no-no, I stroke Onii-san's head as if my mom had stroked me.

　She stroked the head of the first man she had ever touched other than her grandfather's with her little hands, and she stroked him hard.
　Then I saw that Onii-san's expression had improved.

　This gave me a taste of encouragement, and I decided to encourage him to come to the store two days a week to make deliveries.
　This has remained unchanged even after she met Mom and became a couple and I became her daughter　

　Because I am.........

　.........

　............


"...hmm~?

　Suddenly I woke up and opened my closed eyelids.

　It was the ceiling of a familiar room, and my fuzzy mind realized that I had been asleep just a moment ago.
　Slowly, I raised my body and bathed in the morning sunshine that shone through the window.

''I feel like I was having a nostalgic dream.''

　That was the first time I met Onii-san, and it's an important memory for me.
　I feel as if I have traced back many memories from there.

　I don't know why I suddenly had such a dream, but when I remembered my plans for today, it made sense.

　I look at the clock on my bedside table and see that the time is 6:30 a.m. I'm a little early, but I'm going to go back to sleep.
　It's a little early, but I don't feel like falling asleep twice, so I decide to get out of bed and get dressed.
　Next, I go to the bathroom to wash my face and finish brushing my teeth.

　Then I combed my hair and put it in pigtails and that was it.
　I'm getting used to this too.....

　Then I look at my own reflection in the mirror on the washstand after getting ready for the day.

　A white shirt with a big blue collar, a red ribbon tied neatly, and a knee-length skirt of the same color as the collar.




　Today is a memorable day for me - Amana Hayakawa's entrance ceremony to junior high school.

　

Morning, Mom.
Good morning, Tenna.

　When I went to the living room, I greeted my mom, who was up before me and preparing breakfast.
　She stops her cooking and responds with a firm look on her face.

　Then she rolls her eyes for a moment, and then her gaze turns kind, as if she's overcome with emotion.

''Tenna is in junior high school.......you're getting close to being an adult again.
It's all thanks to Mum. ...Do you think it would look good on me?
'Yes. I wouldn't be embarrassed to put her anywhere, I'm proud of her.
"Heh, thank you, Mom.

　It's been 13 years since I became my mama's daughter.
　Once again, I can't hide my surprise at the time that has passed, but compared to my mom, I'm still just a child.

　Still, I am reminded again that I should become an adult so that I can be proud of my daughter.

　Looking back, it's been five years since Mom and Onii-san got married, and she looks so young and beautiful that I can't believe she'll be in her 30s this year.
　To give you an example, they would be mistaken for sisters if they were walking together.
　But she's getting really into taking care of her skin and seems to be concerned about it.

　I don't want to have a pimple or something, so I can understand why he's concerned about it.
　This is the basic knowledge of a young girl, which has nothing to do with the older man who was scolded for saying something wrong.

　Thinking back on that, I offer my mom to help me.

Hey, Mom. Can I help you with anything?
'The meal will be ready soon, may I ask you to wake the two(ish) people(ish) who are still sleeping?'
Yes.

　Hearing that request, I leave the living room and go to my room first.
　However, this is not my room alone anymore.
　The sleepyhead who doesn't get up often is with me.

　I open the door and turn my attention to the other bed.

　There was a little girl with dark hair sleeping soundly.
　She's more energetic when she's awake than I was when I was a little girl, but her sleeping face is so cute that I can't help but soothe her.
　Unfortunately, I have to wake her up now, so I'll give up looking at her for a long time.

　Since we started sleeping in the room together, I know exactly how to wake her up.

'Yuu-chan!　Dinner will be ready soon!
'Huh?　Yoo-chan's food!
Hahahaha. Yuu-chan.
'Hey!　Good morning!

　At my call, he jumped up at a speed that makes it hard to believe that he was sleeping soundly until just a few moments ago.
　Even though she is 4 years old this year, she has a bite to eat that makes her look like an adult, and she can't help but smile and say hello.

　Yuu-chan, or Yuri Hayakawa, is the child born to Onii-san and her mother and is also my younger sister.
　Her hair is black like Onii-san's, but her eyes are the same color of lapis lazuli as mine and my mom's.

　Her name is a combination of "Yoo" and "Rashi," which was left over from when I gave her my name.
　I've heard that when my real mother was alive, she wanted to name her child that way for her to be born in the future.
　Her mama's expression was very kind as she said this.

　I felt that Yuu-chan's name was a testament to me and my family, and both of us were happy to accept it.

　Shortly after that, we learned for the first time how hard it is to raise a child, but that's another story.
　The only thing I can say is that I did my best to be Yuu's oneechan.

　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one.

'Wow!　Hey, hey, it's so docile!
Hmph. Thanks, Yuu-chan.

　I help the energetic Yuu-chan get dressed in the morning.
　She puts her black hair that reaches her waist in a half-up, and this time she goes to Onii-san.
　In the room we both quietly entered, I could see her sleeping regularly on the bed.
　He had gotten plenty of sleep since he started his new job.

　I'm a bit jealous of the similarities in his sleepy-headedness.
　But that's okay, because it can't be helped.

　Yuu-chan and I look at each other once and signal to each other.

　It's a good idea to have a good time.

"'Papa!　It's morning!
Whoa!

　Yuu-chan jumps into Onii-san's chest and I shout in her ear to wake her up.
　Then she was forced to wake up and squirm, then roll her eyes at us.

Good morning, Pa-pa-pa-pa.
Dad, hello!
Gee, oh, good morning you two.

　He returned the greeting while setting down Yuu-chan, who jumped into his chest.
　The moment she turned her eyes to me while rubbing her sleepy eyes, Onii-san froze like a stone.

　I'm sure you'll be able to see why, so I stood up and picked up the edge of my skirt to show off my uniform.

I'm sure it looks good on you.
"──Ah. It looks great on you, Tian-na-na.
Thanks, Dad!

　Mom and Yuu-chan praised me earlier, but it's best to be praised by Onii-san.

　The two of them are up and ready to go, while I return to the living room.
　Breakfast is already ready, and I help serve the last of the food.

　When they're done, Onii-san and Yuu-chan also arrive.

　All four of us sit down together as a family and start working on the breakfast that my mom made.
　The homemade sandwiches with lettuce, bacon, and cheese on baked bread, and the corn soup that was well-cooked.

　Last year I started learning how to cook with my mom, but it made me realize that I still have a long way to go.
　My mom says happily that I'll be able to be a mother that my daughter respects for that, but as someone who wants to catch up with her, I feel like she's being mean to me.
　...even though I'm always proud of my mom, even if she's tied with my cooking skills.

'Well, well!　More food!
Are you done eating, Yuri?
Because it's delicious. I'll have another one!
'Yes, I'll give you my share of soup. No more than that.
'Wow!　Well, well, thank you!

　I'm a big fan of my mommy's cooking, and so is Onii-san, but Yuu-chan, who is a picky eater, especially likes her mommy's cooking.

　It's funny if you only look at it, but there was a time when my sister drank too much breast milk when she was still an infant and put it back in.
　Once, she was lounging in the living room and as soon as she left her seat, she stole a piece of candy she had been eating and pretended to sleep with a blank expression on her face and got angry at me....

　Based on those things, this eating habit might be hardcore.

　........I have to keep a close eye on her so that she doesn't get fat at an early age.
　I have vowed to do so secretly from the heart of an older sister that has been rooted in me since Yuu-chan was born.

　I was about to leave the house when I finished cleaning up the breakfast and got ready for my mom.

''Ugh....

　Yuu-chan, who was smiling until a moment ago, suddenly holds her belly and goes down on her knees.
　It's not a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.

Yuu-chan, are you okay?
Yoo-chan, I'm so hungry...
What?

　When I called out to him to see if he was worried, he just had a normal stomach ache from eating too much.
　And what a bad time to do it at the time of the entrance ceremony.
　In a way, it can be taken to be self-inflicted, but I can't leave Yuu-chan in such a state.

　I was wondering what to do........

'Huh, it can't be helped. I'm also responsible for giving you an excessive amount of breakfast because of your selfishness, and I'll see to Yuri, so Wa-san and Tenna, please head to the middle school first.

　Mom apologetically bought me to take care of Yuu-chan.
　Considering the way she usually eats, I can't help but feel that my sister's stomach was at its limit anyway, even if I didn't give her the soup.
　

　I have some thoughts, but I keep my mouth shut and say that I shouldn't say that.

I'm not going to be able to do that. Please, Amari.
Come on, Mom.
Yeah. I'll catch up with you later.
I'm sorry...

　We left the house, leaving Yuu-chan, who apologized in a painful tone of voice, in charge of Mom, and Onii-san and I left the house.

　

　When you step outside, you can feel the warmth of spring.
　This sunny day is a very comfortable way to welcome the start of school.
　The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and the gentle breeze was carrying them along with a gentle breeze.

　I'm sure you've been wondering what's going on in your life as you walk down the road lined with cherry blossom trees leading to your new junior high school.

Yuu-chan, are you okay?
'It's okay, we have Amari with us.

　Well, that's true.
　Although she's been married, Onii-san's fondness for her mom has only increased, not waned.
　Of course, the same is true for Mom, and the two of them are showing that they are just as close as they were when they were newly married.

　I think it's good that they're close, but I'm not sure I'd complain if they were a little more considerate of the public eye.

　While I think so, I'm actually happy to be in this situation.
　Because..........

But as for me, it's been a long time since I've been alone with my wife.
That's true. I've gotten used to you calling me Dad, too.

　We dared to call each other back and walked away laughing.

　When Yuu-chan was born, Onii-san and I made a promise, or something like a precaution, to be a father and a daughter except when it was just the two of us.
　That was to be father and daughter, except when it was just the two of us.

　Of course, Yuu-chan doesn't know that I'm not Mama and Onii-san's real daughter.
　I'm not going to be able to get the same kind of information from her.
　So, in order to prevent that from happening, I decided to call Onii-san "Papa" and she called me "Tenna".

　At first, I made some mistakes by accident, but after 3 years, I got used to it.

　To be honest, I feel guilty, and I have to tell her at some point.
　If Yuu-chan, who knows everything, were to say "I hate you", I might not be able to recover from it, and I would be scared at times.

　But knowing that my mom was feeling this way at the time, I was able to hide it properly.

　Knowing the truth, I might make her sad, I might make her cry, I might make her angry.
　I've decided to make a lot of memories with Yuu so that even if that happens, we can be a family forever, because I have decided to make many memories with Yuu.　
　It's a good thing that you have a family bond, just like I made up with my mother after I had a fight at that time.

　I don't know what will happen in the future, but I'm sure of that much.

　That's when I confirmed that thought again.

''Hah~ That little Amana-chan is already a junior high school student.......''
What is that?　It's a bit uncle-like, don't you think?
'G................　I'm over 30, and I'm certainly not old enough to be an old man anymore...

　Onii-san, who was holding her chest and drooping at the top of her lungs, looked clearly depressed.
　I shouldn't do this.
　You should not do this," she said, "because you once said something similar and made your father cry.

It's not like that. You're young just like your mother, and you're still 'Onii-san' in my mind.
Well, that's all well and good but when you get older, that's when you'll be farther away from your brother.
You have no idea.

　Onii-san recovered a little from the encouragement, but quickly spoke something pessimistic.
　I continued, half taken aback by the bluntness that hadn't changed, "Even if you become a grandfather, it doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter if you've become an old man or not. You promised me that you would always be your grandfather, didn't you?
Yeah, that's right.

　This is a promise that was made to me when I was a little girl, when I couldn't celebrate my mother and brother's marriage.
　It's a very important thing that I will never forget, even when I grow up to be an adult in high school.

　With a bitter smile on his face, he seems to have completely lost his sorrow.
　I'm glad to be back on my feet.

To return to the topic at hand, the thought of Amana-chan's first love when she goes to junior high school makes me cry in many ways.
First love...?

　I'm going to have to do something uncle-like again.............
　I'm going to be in junior high school, but my brother still treats me like a child in his mind.
　That's not good enough for me.

　So I decided to boldly speak up about it.





It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you'll be able to see the difference.
Ha...................

　The confession, which seemed to be unexpected, caused Onii-san to be astonished, even in the morning.
　Well, that can't be helped, it's Onii-san, right?

'Who's the other guy!　Is that the one I know?　No way, Daichi-kun!
It's true that Daichi-kun confessed to me after my elementary school graduation ceremony, but I refused, saying that I could only see him as a childhood friend!
Oh, oh that's how sorry I am to hear that...

　I was talking with everyone at the graduation ceremony when I was suddenly called out to see what was going on, and I was surprised when he confessed that he liked me since the first time I met him!
　I was just surprised, and partly because I didn't look at him that way to begin with, I turned him down.
　I thought it would be difficult to see him since we will be attending the same junior high school from now on, but my mom and Kuroone-onee-chan, who seem to be used to dealing with confessions, told me to treat him as normal, so I'm going to do just that.

　I wonder if Onii-san knows how I feel about Daichi, since he's a candidate for my first love.　

　I'll get to that later, but for now, I decided to continue talking about my first love.

'My feelings didn't come true and I got my heart broken, though.
What?　Who the hell is this guy to dump my angelic Amana-chan?　Can I put some heavenly muffins on you?
I have someone I like so much that he doesn't even look at me, so I've already decided that I can't win.
''Ugh ... if you already have someone you like, I don't blame you...''

　I'm so angry that I've never seen the fact that I'm heartbroken before, but I'm relieved when I tell him the reason for the split and he puts the contradiction to rest.
　If I put a Tenchu on you, you'd be gone, wouldn't you?

　However, Onii-san seems unable to give up on the matter.

'Oh, you mean Amana-chan?　Can you at least tell me what he was like?
"Dame!　These are the secrets of a maiden!

　I repel the question from the unaware oni-san and take a few steps forward.

　I've decided not to tell her about my feelings.

　The reason why I cried with shock when I found out that Onii-san and my mom were getting married was not only because we couldn't be friends anymore, but also because I had mixed feelings that were different from friendship.

　It took me a long time to realize it, though.

　I never thought I would actually experience the words in the girl's manga that Tomoyuri lent me, "First love is unfruitful".
　It's true that I was too late to realize it, but before that, we only saw each other so much that we didn't have time to intervene.
　I don't blame you for being more convinced than the shock of a broken heart.

　But strangely enough, I don't have any regrets.

　I've learned that we don't have to be lovers to be together.
　I'm sure that in the future, you may meet someone who cares about each other as much as your mother and brother do.
　If that happens, I've decided to show you that you will be happy for sure.

　But I want to be with my family, who I love, first and foremost, my mom, my brother, and Yuu-chan.
　That's the only thing that will never change.
　It's a form of happiness I don't want to change.

　I didn't know it was so, but I looked back at the oni-san who was standing there with her question dismissed.
　Then a spring breeze blew in, as I'd indicated.

　The cartoonish timing is so good that a smile comes to my face.
　As it is, I say a few words of confession.





I'm going to say it.　If you get tired from work in the future, I'll be the one to do it for you!

　Let's continue to be happy with our beloved family.
　Because I love you so much, Onii-san.

　Perhaps that thought has come through, but the man smiles back at me with a happy smile.
　That's all it takes to make me happy.

　With that confidence in my heart, I moved forward with my new life....

　.........

　...........


　The end..........