Chapter 70: Afterstory & Prequel – 18: Making Up and Flirting

“…But… isn’t it kind of pathetic? You know, as a guy…”

“Haa…”

Maika let out an exasperated sigh, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“It’s fine, isn’t it? Being pathetic. I mean, honestly, Kyugo, you are a pathetic guy.”

“That’s harsh… even if it’s true…”

“Right? Sure, there are times when you’re cool, but when you’re pathetic, you’re really pathetic. You can be lame, unreliable, clumsy, and yeah, even literally smelly sometimes. And, well… you’re uncircumcised.”

“That’s harsh… and also true…”

“And that’s fine. Because it’d be a problem for me otherwise. I mean, I’ve been with you the most since we were kids, and I’m the only one who knows everything about you. That’s why I’m the one who can support you the best. So if you suddenly weren’t yourself anymore, I’d be seriously troubled.”

She wasn’t lying. No, she definitely wasn’t lying. This was one hundred percent Maika’s honest opinion. She wasn’t just accepting all of my pathetic traits—she wasn’t even conscious of it as acceptance. To her, me being me was a given. It was just her normal.

“Hey, Kyugo. You don’t need to have confidence as a ‘man.’ Just have confidence as yourself. Everything you’ve worked so hard for since you were a kid—it’s never going to betray you. As you grow from now on, it’ll just be your baseball skills and muscles that improve. Your heart? That’s not gonna change. People don’t change that easily. Weak points will stay weak, and uncool parts will stay uncool. And that’s fine. I’ll cover all your weaknesses. And the flaws I can’t cover… well, that’s just how it is. Let’s laugh about them. Let’s roll our eyes at them. That’s who you are, Kyugo, and that’s who we are.”

“Maika…”

Damn, I’m about to cry. Don’t look at me with that kind face. Don’t gently pat my head like that. We’ve been so distant for over a month that my hair’s gotten long. Cut it tomorrow, will you? Oh wait, you can’t—tomorrow, we leave for the training camp.

“…Alright. I’ll cancel the surgery. I’ll stay uncircumcised forever.”

“Yeah… forever… yeah…”

“Yeah, forever. That’s the deal.”

“…”

Wait, huh? Why’s the atmosphere suddenly weird again? I didn’t say anything strange, did I? So why is Maika’s face turning bright red…?

Maika, now a blushing mess, let out an exaggerated sigh, probably to hide her embarrassment.

“Anyway, you know, Kyugo, it’s not like it doesn’t retract when you’re, you know, excited, right?”

“Well, yeah…”

I decided not to ask how she even knew that. That’s just what being a big brother is about—gracefully ignoring your little sister’s slip-ups and forgetting them.

“It’s fine, right? As long as there’s no issue. If it retracts properly when you’re, you know, ready, there’s no problem making babies.”

“Wha—! W-What the hell are you saying, babies and stuff?! We’re siblings, you know!”

I couldn’t brush that off at all. I was completely shaken.

“H-Huh?! T-That’s not what I meant! I wasn’t talking about me having fifteen of your babies and living happily ever after, idiot! You perv! Don’t get the wrong idea!”

“S-So that’s how it is… Yeah, my bad… I was joking, you know.”

“Oh, it was a joke? Then it’s fine.”

Apparently, that was fine. Thank god. Probably a bad call, but at least there’s no replay system to challenge it.

“Well, anyway, that’s that.”

“Wait, Maika…”

Still straddling me, Maika leaned forward and bumped her forehead gently against my chest. She probably couldn’t take it anymore. She couldn’t meet my eyes and didn’t want me to see her face either. But clearly, she wanted me to pat her head. Fine. She patted mine earlier, so it’s only fair.

“…Nngh.”

Maika squirmed awkwardly, ticklish from my touch. Her soft chest pressed against me completely, and her warm breath brushed against my skin. Naturally, this caused a full reaction down there. It was pressing against her lower abdomen. But she wasn’t going to call attention to it. She’d brush it off and pretend to forget. She had to. We’re siblings, after all.

“For me, you know, even the bad parts and the things I don’t like are just part of who you are. It’s always been like that, and you being you is what matters to me. Isn’t that how it’s been for us? We’ve always been the most comfortable with each other, right? No need to be polite, no pressure. I want to stay the place where you feel most at ease, Kyugo. You idiot.”

Despite her embarrassment, she forced herself to say it. That had to be a sign that it was time to get to the point. A clear signal that she couldn’t wait anymore.

I had to be brave, too. Maika had done so much to bring us here. I couldn’t let my shame hold me back now.

“…Maika.”

“…Yeah? What?”

Playing it off casually, but her body stiffened with a twitch. This was important to her, too. Of course it was. She’s the kind of girl who could honestly say she’d dedicate her life to my baseball career.

“Maika, be my manager. No, I mean… the baseball team’s manager.”

“…Hmm, I don’t know. I’m pretty busy, you know…”

“…Please.”

“Well, you see, the soccer team’s been asking me too…”

“Don’t mess with me. No way I’m letting that happen. Who are they? Tell me every guy who asked you. I’m not letting it slide. Who do they think they’re hitting on?! Maika is my—wait. No, that’s right. Maika is my little sister!”

“Ughhh! You’re such an idiot! Ughhh!”

Flailing her legs and burying her face into my chest, Maika was practically glowing with happiness, her entire face red all the way to her neck.

…But seriously, when she gets this cute, it’s embarrassing for me too.

“Y-You too, Maika! Don’t say dumb things! This is an order from your big brother. You’re gonna do it. Be the manager. You get it, right? I need you!”

“Ughhh!!”

“To take Riko to Koshien! To fulfill my promise with Riko!”

“…Haa…”

Her warm sigh brushed against my chest. For some reason, it felt less tender than before—like it lacked the gentleness it had earlier.

Ah, I blew it. I couldn’t throw away my shame after all. I needed an excuse to say something like that. Sorry for using you as an excuse, Riko.

Maika raised her face slightly, giving me a piercing look before letting out another exasperated sigh.

“…Alright, fine. I get it. Sure, whatever.”

“Wait, really…?”

“I’ll do it. I’ll be the manager. Starting tomorrow. The application form… yeah, Ogikubo-senpai already shoved it at me anyway.”

“Maika…! I-I mean, yeah. That’s how it should be! You slacked off for a whole month…”

“What are you even saying? You told me not to join.”

“…Sorry.”

“It’s fine. That’s just so you, Kyugo. Oh, right. Guess I’ll have to dye my hair back… Ugh, what a pain. Guess I’ll stop by the convenience store…”

“No. Don’t. Stay blonde.”

“…What? Why?”

It was a natural question. Yeah, why? Seriously, why? Why did I say that? It just slipped out reflexively. Maybe this was what it meant to truly throw away shame.

…Well, no use holding back now. Might as well let it all out. No excuses this time.

“Why? Because it’s obvious. You look… y-you look…”

“Why are we still talking about foreskin?”

“Y-You look cute! You’re crazy cute with blonde hair, Maika!”

“…”

“It suits you so well, and I don’t want you to change it. I’ll deal with the baseball club rules somehow, so just stay as you are.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Frozen like a turtle pulling back into its shell, Maika sat on top of me. And like a turtle awkwardly poking its head out, my… yeah. It’s too much. Why does it only partially retract even when fully hard? Why does it take effort to fully uncover? My foreskin’s really overdoing it.

But we had to hold back. No matter how many times I’ve told myself, it’s never enough. We’re siblings. The most we could allow ourselves was a gentle hug. Nothing more. That’s something both of us understood deeply.

And so, suppressing our hunger and our desires, we somehow managed to fall asleep in the same bed for the first time in seven years.

…First thing tomorrow, I’m throwing my new sweeper pitch at that fake smooth bastard who ratted out my secret to Mom.