While there were still some days until the Autumn Festival, certain individuals had already sprung into action. Among them was Shion, already deep in thought about what to sell at the festival!
“Ayane, what do you think of this?” Shion held up a newly woven knot charm, a mix of red and white, matching the colors of her miko attire. She dangled the finished charm before her sister.
Ayane, still in her school uniform, crouched beside Shion, utterly oblivious to the fact that her sister had a full view of her. Propping her head with her hand, she asked, “Clumsy big sister, is there any difference between this knot charm and the ones you made before?”
“Uh… maybe a little more material? This time, I used at least three more centimeters of red and white thread.” Shion strenuously avoided glancing at the expanse of white underwear openly displayed beneath her sister’s skirt, instead forcing her gaze to Ayane’s face.
“What difference does that make, you clumsy big sister!” Ayane lightly tapped her sister’s head. “It’s still just a knot charm. Last year, we had a pile of things left over from the Autumn Festival!”
“Th-then what should we sell? I don’t know anymore!” Shion set down the loom shuttle, scratching her head in exasperation. “What else could our shrine possibly sell?”
Speaking aloud, Shion stood up. This was the shrine’s small storage room, tucked away in a corner, typically used for miscellaneous items. Currently, it housed several dusty boxes filled with knot charms.
“Let me see… how about this?” Shion pulled out a beautifully crafted *teru teru bozu* from one of the boxes in the storage room and asked.
“But these didn’t sell out last year either!” Ayane exclaimed, clutching her head. “And it seems we barely sold any at all.”
Shion shook her head in resignation. “Then… what *do* we sell? No one comes to worship at our shrine anymore, and we don’t receive many offerings…”
“What about… shrine merchandise?” Ayane suggested, standing up and perching herself on a box.
“Shrine merchandise, you say… acrylic boards with torii gates drawn on them?” Shion asked.
“Acrylic boards… what are those?” Ayane asked, confused.
Right, it seemed that after a trip to Tokyo, Ayane had started adopting the city’s terms even for merchandise. Shion tapped her own forehead, finally recalling the usual term they used.
“They’re standees. But should we print the grand torii gate? Or the main hall of the shrine?” Shion pondered.
Ayane, a mischievous grin spreading across her face, leaned closer. “How about… we print big sister on them?”
Shion was still a little bewildered. “Huh? Print me?”
Ayane chuckled. “I have so, so many photos of big sister on my phone. Any one of them would be a bestseller.”
As Ayane spoke, she pulled out her phone. The faint glow of a single incandescent bulb illuminated the warehouse in the evening gloom. Ayane’s phone screen cast its light upon her face, highlighting her somewhat wicked smile.
A sense of unease settled over Shion.
“This one is big sister changing into her school uniform in the morning, this one is big sister changing into her miko outfit after coming home in the afternoon, and this one is big sister changing after her bath, and this one… is big sister *during* her bath…”
Shion’s expression, which had initially held a hint of anticipation, now darkened completely.
“You clumsy Ayane! What kind of photos have you been taking every day?!” Shion lunged forward, trying to snatch Ayane’s phone.
Ayane tucked her phone behind her back and stuck out her tongue at Shion. “No way! And it’s not like I’d actually use these for mass-produced merchandise.”
She clutched her phone tightly. “Big sister is *mine*, you know. No one else will get to see these photos of you.”
However, the next second, Ayane quietly added, “If you want to see them, you’ll have to pay extra~”
“You clumsy Ayane!”
Shion pounced forward. Ayane, caught off balance, tumbled backward with Shion, the two sisters landing together on a mat.
When Shion opened her eyes, she found herself pinning her sister beneath her. A hint of confusion still lingered in Ayane’s pupils, as if she hadn’t quite registered what had just transpired.
“Clumsy big sister…” Ayane murmured, pulling back Shion, who had started to get up.
Shion’s sleeve was clutched by her sister, and her eyes seemed to shimmer with emotion.
“Big sister, you haven’t claimed your reward yet.” Ayane’s voice dropped to a whisper. Though her cheeks were flushed, there was no trace of hesitation in her words.
“Ayane, that… wasn’t a joke, was it?” It felt as if Shion was seeing her sister up close for the first time. She didn’t even attempt to kneel up, remaining sprawled over Ayane, her sleeve still tightly gripped.
“Ah, honestly, I do love teasing you, big sister. But can’t I be serious just for a moment?” Ayane’s other arm wrapped around Shion’s waist. “I am the clumsy big sister’s little sister, after all.”
Ayane guided Shion’s hand, and Shion closed her eyes.
“Because I’m the clumsy big sister’s little sister, I have to properly deliver on big sister’s reward. Otherwise, you might not cook for me tomorrow.” Ayane tilted her head slightly.
Shion’s hand, firmly guided by her sister, was placed upon Ayane’s body.
Though for Shion, it might have felt like a familiar touch from her own bath, the girl beneath her visibly quickened her breathing, a flush rising to her cheeks.
“Al-alright, Ayane.” Shion tried to gently pull her hand away, but Ayane tightened her grip even further. With a blush, Shion met her sister’s gaze, where a hint of longing was clearly visible.
“Big sister, the reward… mmph… it’s not over yet.”
Ayane slipped off her shoes, her legs, clad in white over-the-knee socks, immediately wrapped around Shion’s waist. Even as her words came out in heavy gasps, her movements grew more insistent.
“Big sister… after you graduate high school, ah… you absolutely, absolutely mustn’t leave me…”
Soft gasps punctuated Ayane’s words, yet her actions showed no sign of stopping.
“Mm, I know. I won’t leave you, Ayane.” Shion whispered her promise into Ayane’s ear.
A faint smile bloomed on Ayane’s face. “Big sister, you absolutely, absolutely have to keep your word~”
Shion’s hand remained on Ayane’s chest, and even through the school uniform fabric, she could feel the soft warmth beneath.
The girl’s gasps gradually subsided, while the incandescent bulb in the warehouse continued to flicker, likely due to its age.
It was as if Shion was realizing for the first time that her sister, who usually seemed so ditzy, possessed surprising strength.
Even after the “reward” concluded—though nothing truly happened—Ayane still clung tightly to her sister, whispering into her ear, “Clumsy big sister, you’re not allowed to leave me, okay?”
“So… Ayane, have you figured out what we’re going to sell at the Autumn Festival?”