"Finally, middle school starts tomorrow. I'm a bit nervous."
Spring break had passed uneventfully, and time had moved steadily forward. I thought I was used to starting new schools by now, but surprisingly, I felt nervous. Maybe doing everything over and over had made me afraid of new things. This unease spilled out as a quiet confession before bed.
"There's nothing to worry about. This time, I'll be with you, so if anything happens, I'll be right there to help. And if it ever gets too hard, you don't have to go. I'll protect you."
Come to think of it, this is the first time I'll be going to middle school with my sister. Yeah, with her by my side, I feel like everything will be okay.
"Thank you. You're right. I'll do my best so I don't have to be protected all the time, so let's save the konkin for another time, okay? That happened around this time last time too."
"...I know. Next time, if it comes to that, I'll talk to you first."
"Yeah. Let's promise not to do anything rash on our own anymore. If something comes up, we'll talk about it right away."
"Of course. Let's get some sleep. It would be annoying if we were late tomorrow."
"Yeah. Good night."
"Good night."
The anxiety I had felt lifted. Talking things out really does make a difference. My sister always hugs me like a body pillow when we sleep. It's fine now, but I wonder if it'll get too hot as summer approaches. With that thought, I drifted off to sleep.
The entrance ceremony went smoothly. I didn't know anyone in my class, but I managed to introduce myself. With the day's activities done, I headed to find my sister, who was, as usual, placed in a different class.
What I saw when I arrived was my sister surrounded by a crowd of people. I guess it made sense. Most of the students here had come from the same elementary school, while we were like transfer students from another school. And with her looks, it was no surprise that she attracted attention. Watching from a distance, I felt a twinge of unease. Even though I knew I shouldn't interrupt, I turned to leave alone. Just then, someone grabbed my hand.
"Why were you about to go home without me?"
It was my sister.
"What about everyone else? I can go home by myself."
"Why would I care about anyone else when you're the most important person to me? Don't worry about them. Let's go home together."
She held my hand and led me out of the classroom. Her classmates called after her, saying things like "See you tomorrow," but she didn't respond, so I gave them a polite nod before we left. By the time we walked out of school, the unease I had felt earlier was completely gone.
"Sis, are you sure it's okay? Everyone seemed like they wanted to talk to you."
"It doesn't matter. I'm not interested in anyone but you. I'll only interact with them as much as necessary, but I don't intend to get close to anyone."
"Hmm, I see."
"What? Kaya, you look happy."
"Do I? I didn't mean to. But if that's the case, let's always go home together."
My sister says the strangest things, like claiming I look happy. But if it means we can go home together, I'm fine with it.
When we got home, we took a bath together as usual. The bathroom didn't feel any smaller, and we fit just as comfortably as we did when we first moved in. That's been bothering me lately. We didn't grow much during middle school, but I hope we grow taller once we start high school.
After the bath, it was time for dinner. Recently, I've been helping with the cooking more. I want to support my sister by being able to do household chores too. But I'm not sure if I'm really being helpful since my sister's cooking is still better than mine. She always says my food is delicious, but I know I need to keep improving.