CH 27

—Departure date, day of departure.

“Onii-chan~! Hurry, hurry~!”

Saika, wearing a beautiful tangerine-colored one-piece dress, rushed me in the lobby of the international flightstation.

I followed, pulling the larger trunk with a rattle. [Suitcase]

It contained mostly a change of clothes and a doujinshi that Ajiro-senpai had generously given to me.

As I couldn’t leave it at home, I brought it with me as a keepsake.

“Saika, you don’t have to be in such a hurry, there’s still plenty of time before the departure time~?”

“Onii-chan, global warming is causing a serious rise in sea levels. If you don’t go soon, the America could sink!”

“Haha, in that case I really hope it sinks before I get there. No, it might sink under the weight when I get there.”

I chatted with my sister while making a fat joke.

It was the first time for Saika to come to the airport, so there were a lot of new things for her.

She was frolicking around and looking at all sorts of things with her eyes wereshining.

“You can tell me anything you want.”

“Ehh~, but they’re all expensive, and you can buy that stuffed animal for the regular price of 300 grams of pork belly!”

“No, no, don’t worry about that. Feel free to take a big one with a don! Just say it.”

“Uh, well, then I want a plane!”

“I said you could say it, but I didn’t say I’d buy it for you~”

“Aa, that’s not fair!”

“Because you’re trying to embarrass your brother.”

I laughed at my sister’s pouty face.

Saika suddenly found something and pulled my arm hard.

“Ah! It says you can take pictures here! Let’s take a picture together, Onii-chan!”

“Isn’t that something you’d find in an arcade?”

“We haven’t done it because you never go out with me! Whenever we go out together, we always go to places where there aren’t many people!”

“Saika, when Onii-chan walks with you, the policemen mark him…”

“Come to think of it, they do…”

Well, it is only natural if such an ugly man and a beautiful girl are walking around.

I appreciate their hard work though.

Saika pulled me by the arm and into the photo booth.

The photo booths are so big these days, you could almost call it a room.

“Ahaha! Onii-chan’s funny face is the best~!”

“Isn’t that right~? Saika has a long way to go~, you’d better brush up on your skills.”

After taking some pictures, Saika laughed with her stomach when she saw my most funny face.

Saika was also trying her best to make a funny face, but unfortunately she was too beautiful no matter how she tried.

“I never thought I’d see the day when I’d be happy to see someone laugh in my face.”

“If anyone laughs at Onii-chan, I’ll take care of it!”

“That someone is right in front of me though.”

Saika put some pictures in her bag and hugged my arm.

I also kept some pictures in my wallet and will treasure it too.

“With these pictures, I don’t think I’ll miss a year in the States.”

When I said that, Saika responded to me with a big smile.

“That’s right! A year— ah.”

Tears unexpectedly spilled from Saika’s eyes.

“Ahaha, no, this is, I’ve got dirt in my eyes …!”

There was a big smile on her face, but contrary to that her eyes didn’t stop releasing tears.

For sure, she might’ve been holding back the whole time.

I took out a handkerchief and handed it to Saika.

“Saika. It’s okay, you don’t have to act so tough.”

“I’m a bad sister. I really thought I was prepared to send my Onii-chan off with a big smile…”

“Don’t worry, I know how you feel, Saika. I’m sure a year will fly by.”

Saika hugged me tightly.

We’ve been living together our whole lives. She must be lonely.

“Take care, Onii-chan. Fujisaki-san is a very nice person, so you don’t have to worry about me.”

“Yeah! Wait for me, I’ll be back in a year with a slimmer figure!”

“Ahaha! If you turn out to be a handsome guy, I’ll spoil you a lot~!”

“I-I’m a handsome man at heart…!”

I was not confident at all, but I tried to fool her by saying so.

“Ehh, that’s no different from now! That’s right, let’s take another picture when you get back! We’ll compare them.”

“I guess these photos will be brutal later on, now that the hurdle is raised.”

“I’m going to go around bragging to all my high school friends with it! Brace yourself!”

“Please really don’t do this. It’ll only expose yourself…!”

Saika and I joked around on the airport bench until just before departure time.

I really wanted to keep talking to Saika like this.

I stood up, somehow killing that desire.

“It’s time to leave then…”

“Un, Onii-chan.”

Saika, who always follows me around when I walk with her, didn’t get up from the bench.

Instead, she gave me a smile that seemed to blow away all my doubts and fears.

“ — Take care, Onii-chan.”

And so I took off for America.