I LIMEd the three guys that Kano wanted to come. Instant yes from all three.
“All three are fine with it.”
“Now I can come along openly.”
“Like you’d have stopped if anyone objected.”
“Oh, you noticed.”
“We’ve been close for years.”
I know what Kano’s likely to think before she does. Discounting family I might know her better than anyone — including my brother. He sees her through a heavy filter.
The gap between his idealized Kano and the real one is wide. I see her plain.
“Quick stop home to grab my suit. Hop on.”
“Got it.”
A few minutes’ ride brought us to her place. We dismounted and went in.
“I’ll wait at the entrance.”
“Aw — help me?”
I’d been about to sit at the entryway.
“Probably better you do it yourself? Me handling your swimsuit is… bad.”
“I don’t mind if you touch anything of mine.”
“That’s not the —”
“I said it’s fine, stop arguing.”
She was determined. Resistance futile. I followed her to her room.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been in your room.”
“Has it?”
“You haven’t even been coming over lately.”
Elementary-school days when we’d been over casually felt distant — middle school onward, busy clubs and puberty, almost no visits.
We’re not next-door neighbors like in anime — without a reason to go, no visits.
Her room was about the same as I remembered. Simple but feminine — neat.
“Open the top of that storage drawer, please? Sandals are in there.”
“This one?”
“Yep.”
I opened the top drawer. Not sandals — women’s underwear. I slammed it shut.
“That was not sandals!”
“Oh, sorry — bottom drawer, not top.”
”…You did that on purpose to see my reaction.”
She was grinning. Yes she did. Colorful panties and bras are poison for a virgin.
“You don’t get to see big sister’s underwear normally — be grateful.”
“That is not how this works.”
She might love me, but she shows me too much. I opened the bottom drawer — actual sandals this time. Handed them over.
“Thanks — also grab the swimsuit at the back of the closet.”
“You can’t grab it yourself?”
“Nope.”
She beamed. Underwear-flashing wasn’t enough for her.
“Could it be Yuito gets excited from touching my swimsuit? A little pervert?”
“No.”
“Then grab it.”
I grit my teeth — refusal would mean conceding the pervert label. I opened the closet and pulled out the black ribbon bikini.
The one we’d picked together when she’d tricked me into the women’s swimwear section under the summer clothes pretext.
“I wanted to wear it with you specifically when we hit the pool or beach.”
“Didn’t expect to be the one going with you today.”
“Oh — so you’d been imagining we might go together?”
“S-figure of speech, ignore it.”
I deflected. (Truth — I had hoped a little. She’d made me pick the swimsuit; obviously she’d wear it somewhere.)
(I’d also wanted to see her in it. I’d picked thinking it would suit. I wanted to see it suited. Can’t say that.)
“Hmm. We’ll call it that.”
(She saw through me, certainly. I’ll pretend she didn’t.)