If you enjoy gender-bender stories with strong character development and yuri themes, TS Lily Archive is worth your time. It’s a focused library built for readers who want story first, without distractions.
Preview the site below, or open it in a new tab for the full reading experience.
Exquisite—the word perfectly described the tuna sashimi Nanami had so meticulously arranged on the platter. Shion glanced from the artfully presented tuna to Nanami herself. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if Nanami had been possessed by some ancient, exceptionally skilled culinary spirit. Otherwise, Shion found it incredibly difficult to reconcile the image of this blue-haired girl, capable of slicing such flawless sashimi, with the clumsy oaf who, just recently in the cooking club, had managed to scald herself with hot water while making coffee.
Ayane’s eyes were already sparkling with anticipation. She had never tasted tuna sashimi before. After all, Shion had never once bought tuna as an ingredient, let alone attempted to prepare other seafood.
“Sister, Kazama-san, I…” Ayane looked at the two girls beside her with a gaze full of longing.
Nanami nodded. “Go on, eat! This was originally meant to bribe…”
Nanami paused, seeing both Shion and Ayane staring at her with expressions that clearly asked, ‘What are you talking about?’ “It was meant as a gift for both of you, of course! So hurry and eat, Ayane-san, Shion-san!”
“Huh? Aren’t you eating, Kazama-san?” Ayane suddenly asked.
Nanami shook her head. “Oh, um… I think I’ll pass on the fish.”
“Come on, Kazama-san,” Ayane said, looking at Nanami. “If you don’t eat it, I’ll start thinking you’ve poisoned the salmon.”
Shion almost burst out laughing at her sister’s words.
“I eat this every single day at home, Ayane-san! I really can’t eat any more!” Nanami unconsciously took half a step back, waving her hands dismissively, even though the salmon sashimi on the table was her own creation.
Seeing that she still couldn’t convince Ayane, Nanami simply pulled Shion in front of her. “Ayane-san, just ask your sister to explain! I’m genuinely sick of eating this at home!”
“You two… get along surprisingly well, don’t you?” Shion muttered unconsciously, having been dragged in front of Nanami as a shield.
“Because Ayane-san and I both love potato chips,” Nanami chuckled.
“Wasabi yogurt-flavored potato chips!” Ayane made a ‘V’ sign. “You should try them too, Sister! If you buy some for me, you can have a little yourself.”
“So I’m supposed to buy them, and *then* I might get a tiny bit?” Shion couldn’t help but retort.
Regardless, since Nanami had prepared a whole platter of sashimi, it was best to simply enjoy it!
The next period was spent with the three girls heartily devouring their meal. Given that Nanami had truly eaten so much fish at home that she was almost nauseous, Shion had to personally step into the kitchen and prepare a tonkatsu donburi for her, a dish Shion was quite skilled at.
Come to think of it, Nanami certainly had an impressive appetite… That single tonkatsu donburi was enough to match both sisters’ evening meal portions combined. Though, according to Nanami herself, it was merely because she never got to eat anything *but* fish at home, so when a rare opportunity arose to enjoy other delicious food, she naturally had to eat more.
Looking at it this way, even though Nanami treated them to salmon sashimi today, the cost of ingredients hadn’t decreased one bit! And they had just decided to cut down on expenses!
****
“Shion-san… you’re going to set up a stall with Kazama-san at the Autumn Festival?” The next day, during lunchtime, Shigure’s face registered surprise upon hearing the news.
Shion had eaten a bit too much the previous night. After all, salmon, if left overnight, had a slight chance of spoiling the next day. So, even though both sisters were already quite full, they had gritted their teeth and eaten the entire fish Nanami had brought. Despite only eating one meal of it, Shion now somewhat understood why Nanami was so tired of salmon… The reason was simple: it was incredibly easy to get sick of. Shion let out a soft burp, despite having only taken a small bite from the rice ball in her hand.
“Yes, Hoshimori Shrine will be selling salmon with Kazama-san and her family then,” Shion said, taking another bite of her rice ball, the rich, oily taste of salmon still lingering in her mouth. “If you’re ever craving salmon, Iori-san, please feel free to visit our stall.”
“But I remember that people in town don’t really like eating fish these days,” Shigure said, shaking her head. “At least, I haven’t bought any in a very long time.”
“That’s why Nanami plans to turn things around at this Autumn Festival,” Shion nodded emphatically. “She’s quite determined to change everyone’s perception of eating fish.”
“Well, there’s another reason too,” Shion added at last. “The shrine hasn’t had many visitors for a very long time, so we’re facing a bit of a financial crisis… If we could just earn some living expenses for the shrine this time, that would be great.” Actually, it wasn’t just a little bit.
“Oh, I see…” Observing Shion’s somewhat distressed expression, Shigure seemed to grasp the situation. “So, Shion-san, you’re planning to make a killing at this Autumn Festival?”
“Shigure, the way you phrase that makes it sound like I’m going to rob a bank,” Shion couldn’t help but retort.
“I’ve been thinking about you going to Tokyo recently, Shion-san, so I unconsciously wanted to try out some city slang. Was it not quite right?” Shigure said, blushing and scratching her cheek.
“Actually, I think the braided cord you gave me, Shion-san, could be sold,” Shigure suggested. “It’s also shrine-themed merchandise.” As she spoke, Shigure extended her left hand, revealing the red and white braided cord intertwined on her wrist beneath her autumn school uniform.
“Oh? You’ve been wearing it all this time, Iori-san?” Shion asked, surprised to see the braided cord she had given Shigure displayed on her wrist.
“Of course! It was a gift from you, Shion-san,” Shigure replied, gazing at the braided cord on her hand with a cherished look. “So naturally, I have to wear it always. It’s my good luck charm, after all.”
“But… these shrine souvenirs don’t really sell, you know… After all, no one comes to visit the shrine anymore, so the shrine’s merchandise…” Shion paused. She certainly didn’t want to tell Shigure that the cherished good luck charm she held so dear was actually one Shion had woven last year and failed to sell… Shigure would be terribly disappointed otherwise.
“No, they won’t,” Shigure said, simultaneously pulling a small *teru teru bozu* from her school bag and cradling it in her hands.
The *teru teru bozu* was exquisitely crafted, its face adorned with a faint, lovely smile—a smile clearly embroidered stitch by painstaking stitch by the blonde girl before them. The afternoon autumn sunlight illuminated the blonde girl’s face, painting a scene as beautiful as an oil painting. The blonde girl held the sun-drenched *teru teru bozu* in her hands, her smile as radiant as the doll’s.
“Actually, I’m pretty good with crafts too, you know~ If you ever need me, I can always come and help you, Shion-san~”