The Daily Life of the Cat-Like Sister and Her Foolish Elder Brother

“Now, shall we go?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

It was currently 11:30 PM on December 31st.

It was about time to head to the nearby shrine. Well, even if we went at this time, it was sure to be crowded.

I checked my outfit—prioritizing warmth over style. A bit fluffy was okay, it added to the charm. I wasn’t fond of the cold.

Now…

“Yayoi.”

“Hmm? Oh, did you notice? Fufu, isn’t this coat nice? I really like it. Falling in love with me again——”

“Take it off.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t think you can withstand this cold with such a thin coat! Give in and wear a down coat.”

“Aww~! But that one isn’t cute.”

“Don’t be selfish. If you want to catch a cold on New Year’s and end up lying alone sick while everyone else is having fun, I won’t stop you.”

“Guh…”

Seriously, going out in this cold with that kind of outfit… Why do you insist on pretending to be someone you’re not?

I’m fully prepared here.

From the down coat to the wool hat and sweater, I’ve got everything covered, no gaps.

“Jeee“

“What’s up? Hurry up and change. The line’s only going to get longer if you don’t hurry.”

“Eh, it’s fine. I don’t really mind. I don’t know who made it, but that hat and scarf are amazing. They’re cute. But… I just thought the scarf around your neck seemed a bit off.”

“Ugh…”

Do we really have to do this in public?

Well, I guess it’s… I might run into someone I know.

With a showy gesture, Yayoi swings her right hand– a simple ring adorns her ring finger.

“Oh, come on. It’s not like I wanted to do this, but someone insisted, saying—’Wear it.’ So reluctantly, I’m doing it! It’s not like I want to, you know. And yet, that someone won’t use the scarf when it matters. Hmph!”

“…”

Since she’s being a bit annoying, I’ll use my secret weapon.

Quietly, I showed her a video from Christmas time.

“!? G-Gross! How dare you! Y-you idiot brother—”

“Tsukasa, I love you, I really love you.”

“Stop it!!!”

“Watch out! What are you doing, you foolish sister?”

“G-g-g… R-Recording your drunk sister on video, you pervert!”

“You can call it whatever you want. This is the prize of the victor.”

“…Hey, won’t you really do it?”

Don’t suddenly get all serious when we’re just messing around.

…Even if you look at me like that, it won’t work.

Honestly, I’m happy she’s wearing the ring, and there’s a part of me that’s relieved, but that’s a separate matter.

I have my own reputation to think about…

※※※

“Mom, Dad, I’m powerless… And sis, how many times do I have to tell you to stop lecturing me about this?”

“What are you mumbling about?”

Despite her puzzled expression, my sister has been clearly in a good mood since earlier.

As I instructed, she’s shifted from her initial “Which model are you?” mode to a much warmer outfit. Fluffy was justice.

And well… this, in its own way, was cute. I won’t tell her that though.

The problem lies in… the scarf around her neck.

“It’s warm, isn’t it? The hat and… the scarf. Hehe, it was quite a challenge to make it so that Tsukasa wouldn’t find out. You should be grateful.”

“Well, it’s true that it’s warm, and I am grateful but…”

“Is there something wrong?”

“We shouldn’t have to share one scarf between the two of us.”

“This is one of the essential lessons for winter, you know? Living without knowing something as basic as this until now…”

“Eh…”

Yes, the current situation was… as I described.

I wasn’t not unhappy.

Definitely not… but I shudder at my sister’s audacity to pull this off so casually. Despite her tendency to pretend, she could be surprisingly bold at times like these. I still don’t understand her standards.

“And this is essential lesson number two!”

“Yayoi-san?”

“What is it?”

“Why are you putting your hands in my pockets?”

“Hm!”

“Don’t do that! I’ve already conceded this much. Come on, surely not this far…”

“Hm!!”

That gaze holds a strong determination—no intention of backing down, but, wait?

I briefly glance around.

…Doesn’t look like there’s anyone we know.

After a moment of hesitation, I reluctantly put my hands in my pockets.

“Ugh— the gloves are in the way. Here, here, I’ll take them off… There, that’s better.”

“…What’s better?”

“Huh? Is someone blushing? Oh my, could it be that you’re happy about something?”

“…No comment.”

“Hehehe. Tsukasa, your hands have always been warm.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah! …Holding them just makes me feel calm.”

“…Really?”

Well, if that was how it is, then it couldn’t be helped. It truly couldn’t be helped.

Hey! Don’t try to entwine our fingers in my pocket!

As we continued like this, the time was almost—

“Oh, it’s New Year’s.”

“Yeah, it’s New Year’s.”

“Well, good luck this year as well.”

“Hm, what do you mean? Yeah, I hope you’ll do well this year as well. Make sure to spoil me a lot this year―.”

“There won’t be anything like that. You’re entering your third year this year, right? It’s about time to start job hunting, isn’t it? I haven’t gone through it myself, so I can’t say much.”

“That’s true.”

It didn’t seem to be making much of an impact… but she’d always been resourceful, so I’m not too worried.

For now, it’s time to pay respects.

Thanks to coming early, our turn has come around just right.

Two bows, two claps, and one more bow.

“…”

We quietly prayed.

May my family all be healthy.

May my books sell well.

And—may the person next to me always have a smile on her face.

With that, it was enough.

Even though we’d visit a different shrine at our parents’ house, starting the year like this was important.

“Shall we have some sweet sake on the way back?”

“Yeah! Oh, what did you wish for? You had such a serious face.”

“That’s something you don’t tell others.”

“Is that so? Oh, do you want to know what I wished for? Well… I wished for Mom, nee-san, and Dad to be healthy. I wished for world peace. I wished to become cuter and more beautiful. And I wished for Tsukasa to be even kinder to me.”

“…Isn’t that a bit excessive for just 5 yen? And at least mention Dad first, and you missed someone. I’m already plenty kind.”

“As the defendant has stated—”

“Who’s the defendant?”

Geez… oh!

Suddenly, my scarf is pulled.

A whisper in my ear.

“And—may I always be with Tsukasa.”

…I think there are some unfair words in this world.