Upon pushing open the front door, Hoshimori Shion was utterly stunned. ‘Surely, I’ve only been gone for two days and one night, not half a year, have I…?’
The television in the shrine’s living room hummed softly. The evening drama likely hadn’t concluded yet, but with only a single table lamp illuminating the space instead of the main overhead light, the room was plunged into profound gloom. The flickering screen of the ongoing drama served as the primary, albeit weak, source of illumination.
Yet, the moment Shion pushed the door open, a potent aroma of instant noodles assailed her senses. Navigating by the faint light and her enhanced night vision, Shion groped in the darkness until her fingers found the light switch.
What she saw after flicking on the light was even more startling.
A soft futon was haphazardly bunched on the modest sofa, within which Ayane lay curled up. Had it not been for a few strands of her hair peeking out, Shion might have genuinely feared her sister had suffocated beneath the covers. The coffee table was littered with several empty instant noodle bowls, and the waste bin overflowed with uncleaned food scraps, a testament to culinary chaos.
Shion approached the sofa, where Ayane, still cocooned in her blanket, was softly snoring.
“Ayane, you should really go back to your own bed. You’ll get a stiff neck sleeping like this!” Shion gently patted the small head peeking out from beneath the blanket.
“I know, Big Sister…” Just as Ayane groggily began to stir, a sudden realization seemed to strike her. Like a kitten springing from its lair, she shot out from the covers and threw her arms around Shion.
“Big Sister, you’re finally back!”
Ayane’s words burst forth loudly, tinged with a distinct hint of a sob.
“I’m back, sweetie~ Goodness, it’s only been less than two days, is there really a need for such a fuss?” Shion chuckled softly, gently patting her sister’s back. “Ayane, be a good girl, I’m home now~”
“Then… Big Sister!” Ayane wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, pouting as she gazed up at Shion.
“What is it, my dear sister?” Shion asked, gently stroking Ayane’s hair.
“I’m hungry. Big Sister, please make dinner quickly.”
Shion’s smile froze, lasting for at least a full second.
“Didn’t I give you my entire wallet?! Ayane, what on earth have you been eating that forced you to live on instant noodles every single day?!” Shion demanded, playfully pinching Ayane’s cheek.
“Ow, ow, ow! Big Sister, you didn’t leave me *that* much money! I… I just bought you an automatic dishwasher, that’s all! Otherwise, Big Sister would have to clean the shrine, cook, and wash dishes every day, and that’s far too much work!”
From the living room, Shion’s gaze fell upon a large, glassy, square appliance sitting in the kitchen. She even vaguely recalled seeing it before; it was one of the myriad products advertised on screens at Shibuya Crossing. A significant reason it had stuck in her mind was its exceptionally distinctive design.
Shion sighed. “Honestly, you shouldn’t be eating only this every day. While filling your stomach is important, it’s crucial to eat nutritiously too.”
“I know!” Ayane quickly nodded, her expression adorably earnest.
As Shion began clearing the instant noodle containers from the table, she sighed once more. “Honestly, if you ever lived apart from me, Ayane, I fear it wouldn’t take many days before you’d starve yourself to death from malnutrition…”
“Never!” Ayane quickly shook her head, denying it vehemently.
“Then you’ll have to learn to cook for yourself,” Shion countered, patting her lower back with the cleaning cloth. Having just disembarked the train and returned to the shrine, she hadn’t even had a moment to rest before diving into chores, and her back was already beginning to ache.
“We’ll never be separated. I’ll always be with you, Big Sister!” Ayane leaned her face closer, her gaze fixed intently on Shion’s eyes.
‘My dear sister, you’re not a yandere, are you!’ While Ayane had uttered similar sentiments more than once, each repetition carried a subtle, unsettling undertone. Especially after her trip to Tokyo, Shion had absorbed a great deal of knowledge about big-city life, including the concept of a ‘yandere’.
Shion feigned a cough. “When I went to Tokyo with Igarashi Rie, I brought back some souvenirs for you, Ayane.”
As she spoke, she retrieved a cake, some pastries, and a cup of milk tea from her small backpack, placing them on the freshly cleared tabletop.
“Wow!” Ayane’s eyes lit up instantly. “Are these cream puffs? And this… I’ve seen it on social media so many times – is it red velvet cake? And this is…”
Shion lifted the milk tea with both hands and gently guided the straw to Ayane’s lips.
Ayane pursed her lips, took a delicate sip, and her eyes instantly sparkled with delight.
Seeing Ayane’s delighted expression, Shion couldn’t help but smile. It seemed their tastes, even after all this time, remained uncannily similar.
“Oh, and speaking of gifts, Igarashi Rie bought you a beautiful outfit this time too.”
As Shion rummaged through her small backpack, Ayane critically appraised her sister. “Big Sister, you look so beautiful. Is this the style they wear in Tokyo?”
“Hehe, it’s lovely, isn’t it!” Shion twirled around, the hem of her pale purple skirt fluttering lightly with her movement, a triumphant smile gracing her lips.
“It *is* very beautiful, but…” Ayane’s gaze sharpened on her sister. “You didn’t make any kind of… *deal* to get this outfit, did you, Big Sister? Like, perhaps, taking off your clothes in front of Igarashi Rie… something like that?”
‘Ahem…’ ‘Well, I can’t exactly say *no*, considering I did rely on Rie to help me put on the outfit when I changed…’
“Big Sister?…” Ayane’s eyes grew even more piercing.
“Do you honestly think your sister is that kind of person?!” Shion declared, ignoring the beads of sweat that, despite the autumn chill, had begun to form on her face, and puffing out her modest chest.
Ayane scrutinized her sister intently for a moment, then, with an unnervingly serious expression, nodded. “Yes.”
“Hey!”
****
After what felt like an eternity of tidying the house and preparing a late-night snack to satiate her sister’s hunger, the two girls finally settled onto the sofa. Shion glanced at the clock, its hands nearing midnight. Ayane, having already switched off the television, let out a soft, contented burp as she leaned against Shion’s shoulder, engrossed in her phone.
“Big Sister makes the perfect body pillow!” Ayane murmured, a contented smile playing on her lips as she continued to tap at her phone. “It’s truly the best feeling to have you by my side.”
“It would be even better if my dear sister could take care of herself and think carefully about how to spend money,” Shion mused, gently poking Ayane’s forehead. Her gaze drifted to her now-empty wallet, and a familiar pang of worry began to stir within her.
It had been a long time since anyone had come to worship at the shrine, and both girls were still attending school.
‘I can’t possibly go asking Rie to support us, can I! The Hoshimori Shrine absolutely cannot be renamed the Igarashi Shrine!’
“Speaking of which, Big Sister, it’s already this time of year,” Ayane suddenly piped up, “The Autumn Festival… it should be coming up soon, right? Why don’t we seize that opportunity to earn some money?”
‘The Autumn Festival… it’s one of the most vital festivals for the shrine, second only to the New Year’s prayers.’
“I think… yes, this could work!”