“You don’t have to put it that way...” Aiko looked down at her own outfit. It was a sleeveless, frilly white dress under a tiered cardigan, a white pochette slung over her shoulder, socks with lace and ribbons on them, and camel-colored wedge pumps. She couldn’t deny she had put some effort into how she was dressing.
Yoriko continued to glare at her. She must have really been looking forward to this outing, Aiko thought.
“Maybe I should just go...” she said, feeling aghast at Yuichi’s insensitivity. If he’d already made plans with Yoriko, he should have just turned her down.
“Don’t you think it’s a bit late for that? If you just leave now, my brother’s going to worry about you!” Yoriko snapped.
Aiko looked in Yuichi’s direction. Yuichi met her eyes and waved. It really would be hard for her to leave now...
“I guess you’re right...” Aiko admitted.
Yoriko bowed her head and sighed deeply, then looked up again. “Very well. There’s nothing we can do about it now, so I’ll allow it. But try to avoid clinging to my brother excessively, won’t you?”
“I wasn’t planning on it!” Aiko snapped back, her face turning red. Yoriko just gazed at her skeptically.
Together, the three of them headed to the large shopping mall attached to the station.
“Sakaki... If you were going out with Yoriko, you should have told me...” Aiko said, with a touch of resentment.
“I thought having Yori here would speed things up. If you want to know what someone likes, you should just ask them directly, right?” he responded.
“I don’t mind!” Yoriko added cheerfully, as if the hostile encounter before had never happened. “I’m so happy I get to go shopping with Noro!”
How two-faced can you get?! Aiko thought.
Yoriko took Yuichi’s arm, and thus they walked together in a line: Yuichi, Yoriko, then Aiko.
“Hey, isn’t it a little odd for a brother and sister to walk arm in arm?” Aiko couldn’t help but ask.
Yoriko just scowled and whispered back, “I believe I told you not to meddle unnecessarily in our business, didn’t I?”
Aiko fell into stunned silence, and moved around to walk next to Yuichi. She couldn’t link arms or hold hands or anything, of course, and maintained a certain distance. She could feel Yoriko staring daggers into her.
“Sakaki, you were going clothes shopping, right? What kind of clothes are you looking for?” Aiko asked, ignoring Yoriko’s glare.
“Something that goes well with these jeans, I guess. My big sister keeps yelling at me to wear them,” Yuichi said, pointing at his jeans. They looked like ordinary navy blue jeans.
“That’s right! Big Sister isn’t usually picky about what people wear, but she does pick up the occasional strange obsession,” Yoriko said, butting in. “These are apparently made out of special fibers using a particular process that makes them more sturdy than most.”
“Mutsuko does like things like that, huh? Your sneakers look a little strange, too. Are those also from her?” Aiko asked, looking down at Yuichi’s feet. The sneakers didn’t seem that unusual at a glance, but when she looked closer, she saw they had no laces.
“That’s right, but... look, I know what you’re getting at, okay? I can refuse, and she doesn’t force it. She just starts pouting, is all.”
“I bet she would.” It was easy for Aiko to imagine.
“Ah, those are made from special materials to be extra sturdy, too. They don’t have laces because they’re fit in with air pressure,” Yoriko offered.
“Your big sister really likes those special materials, huh?”
As they chatted, they finally arrived in the shopping mall, then headed together to a casual clothes shop, where Yoriko swiftly began to root through the racks.
Yuichi didn’t seem to have any interest in picking out clothes himself. He just stood a few steps behind Yoriko as she looked around. Aiko, despite not being asked, decided to take a little initiative to search for clothes that would look good on Yuichi.
“When he asks our big sister to buy clothes, she buys the most ridiculous things,” Yoriko said.
“Ah, I think I know what you mean...”
“I mean, really. Chainmail? It’s outrageous.”
“Huh?” Chainmail? That wasn’t a word that came up often in casual conversation...
“She brings him bulletproof vests, too. Who would ever wear such a thing in everyday life?”
“Where do they even sell things like that?” The image of Mutsuko proudly showing off a bulletproof vest rose unbidden to Aiko’s mind. It was too easy to imagine.
“And even when she does pick out normal clothes, they’re always black. She wants him in black from head to toe! So obviously, I can’t leave her to handle the coordination of his wardrobe.”
“You two seem to be getting along, huh?” Yuichi said as he watched the two of them pick out clothes.
Sure, superficially... Aiko thought.
“Oh, we just get along so well! Isn’t that right?” Yoriko chirped to Aiko.
“Y-Yeah, I guess so...”
“Big Brother, how do you like this?” Yoriko asked, producing a snug-fitting shirt and jacket similar to the one he was already wearing.
“Well, I don’t know...” Yuichi said as he took the shirt from her. “Noro, did you pick one out, too?”
“Huh? Oh, no!” Aiko was holding a T-shirt with an incomprehensible English logo. It was awkward to be found picking out something she hadn’t been asked for.
Yoriko hid her face from Yuichi and chuckled. There was no right or wrong when it came to picking out clothes, but Aiko still felt like she had lost in some way.
“I’ll go buy them, then. There are lots of people in line, so it may take a while,” Yuichi said, taking the shirt from Aiko.
“Huh?” Yoriko said in surprise. She clearly hadn’t been expecting him to buy the shirt Aiko picked out.
Yuichi went off to stand in line, leaving Aiko and Yoriko to wait near the entrance to the store.
“Why were you picking out clothes for him, Noro? Are you trying to act like his girlfriend or something?” Yoriko demanded. The minute Yuichi was gone, her attitude did a total 180.
“I could ask you the same thing, Yoriko,” Aiko shot back, feeling a little sick of her constant needling.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m trying to do. Is there something wrong with that? Is there something wrong with acting like my big brother’s girlfriend?”
“Huh?” Aiko hadn’t expected her to admit to it outright. “Um, well... I guess... there isn’t? Huh?”
Aiko thought about it, but she couldn’t work out a proper argument.
“If my brother ever gets a real girlfriend, I’ll step back. But right now I’m not causing anyone any trouble, am I?” Yoriko demanded.
“I guess... not?” Aiko tilted her head. It did have a certain logic.
“But what was with that shirt you picked out? Was that some kind of strategy? Picking out weird clothing so he finds you charmingly klutzy?”
“What, was it not good?”
“It was so plain... You have to think about the balance,” Yoriko said, gazing at her with disgust. She couldn’t seem to understand Aiko’s taste in clothing.
“But, well, in the end, my brother did buy the weird shirt you picked out. And I think he liked it more than mine, which gets under my skin.”
“Um, I think you’re making too much of it...”
“It’s all right. Now, exactly how far has your relationship with my brother progressed? The way you address each other seems much less formal than it was the last time you visited our house.”
“Is that really important? We’re still just using last names...”
“It is important! He calls me ‘Yori,’ okay? It’s a childish nickname! I’ll probably be Yori for the rest of my life!”
“Um, I guess we have gotten a little more friendly. But... it’s not what you think!”
“I
sn’t it?” Yoriko asked, eyes narrowed. She didn’t seem to believe her. “If I weren’t here, this would be a date, wouldn’t it? Two people don’t go shopping together if they don’t have a relationship, do they?”
“Huh? Well, I don’t know...” Aiko couldn’t quite figure out how to argue. Yoriko was right that most people would consider an outing like that a date.
“Allow me to make my position clear. Noro, you are the person I most need to keep my eye on. My brother has never brought a girl home before! And he’s never been on such casual terms with one, either. I don’t understand it! He’s barely been in high school for a few months! The club he’s in is all girls, too, and I heard he even has a beautiful girl from his class cozying up to him!”
She must have been talking about Natsuki Takeuchi, who certainly did seem to nurture an affection for Yuichi.
“In fact, this is an excellent opportunity,” Yoriko said. “Why don’t you tell me what things are like for my brother at school? Starting with that cat in heat.”
“Cat in heat?” Aiko mouthed, incredulously. “Okay, fine. The girl you’re talking about is probably Natsuki Takeuchi. She’s certainly beautiful, and while she is assertive, I’m not sure I’d say she’s cozying up... Well, I guess I did see her hug him recently.”
“Do you know where she lives?”
“Why do you want to know?!”
“I want to meet her.”
Aiko decided not to mention that she’d also been embraced by, carried by, and had her skirt flipped up by Yuichi, too. “You probably shouldn’t. She’s... kind of dangerous.”
“Oh? I think I can handle myself. There aren’t many women who can beat me in a fight.” Yoriko sounded fairly confident, and she was Mutsuko and Yuichi’s sister, so maybe she knew some martial arts. But this wasn’t just any girl they were talking about — it was a serial killer.
“So? Any other girls?” Yoriko prodded.
“Takeuchi’s the only one who’s interested in him that way. You can probably relax. Most of the others don’t care.”
“Why not?!” Yoriko shouted, apparently surprised by this revelation.
“He seems to keep the rest of his classmates at arm’s length... I always thought that was a little strange, actually,” Aiko added. “What was he like in middle school?”
“No one dared approach him as long as I was watching him.” Yoriko grinned.
Aiko was a little afraid to ask what exactly it was that she’d done.
“I’m back. Should we go looking for Yori’s present next?” Yuichi asked as he returned from paying at the register.
Aiko’s original objective had been to find a present for Yoriko, but having her along seemed to defeat the point. She thought about asking to pass for the day.
“Is there anything you want, Yori?” Yuichi asked, regardless. He didn’t seem to find anything wrong with the arrangement.
“Big Brother. The point of a present is to show that you thought hard about what the person would like, or what would look good on them. Asking me what I want defeats the point.” Yoriko seemed rather perturbed by her brother’s lack of sensitivity, as well.
Her response left Yuichi looking crestfallen.
“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you feel bad!” Yoriko amended, quickly. “I know! It’s a thank-you for the underwear, right? Then it should be underwear!”
Aiko watched her with a smile. Yoriko could be overbearing towards her, but it was probably just a sign of how much she loved her brother. Maybe, Aiko thought, she wasn’t such a bad kid.
Underwear of every color of the rainbow was spread out before them. Aiko was blown away.
She had never been to a store like this before.
Aiko didn’t really see the point of “fashion” that you only saw for a half-second while you were getting changed. As long as they were clean, that was all she cared about.
“Wow... underwear is expensive, huh?” Yuichi’s blasé tone snapped Aiko back to reality. She looked over to see him staring at the price tag on a bra.
“H-Hang on, Sakaki! Why are you in here with us?”
“Huh? We’re buying underwear for Yori, right?” Yuichi looked at Aiko in puzzlement.
“Yes, but this isn’t a place where boys should be!” Aiko looked hurriedly around, expecting to see everybody staring at them. But contrary to her expectations, nobody seemed to mind.
“It’s okay. It just looks like he’s here with his girlfriend,” Yoriko said nonchalantly in the face of Aiko’s panic. Of course, she made it sound like she was that girlfriend.
“Really?” Aiko asked.
“Yeah. Lots of men go with their girlfriends to pick out underwear. Noro, have you never bought underwear at a lingerie shop before?” Yoriko asked penetratingly, as if paying close attention to Aiko’s odd behavior.
“Um, I just buy whatever’s functional...”
“You need to try your underwear on in a specialty shop before you buy it. All underwear has special properties. You can’t just choose a bra randomly based on cup size.”
Aiko felt a little ashamed about having a middle school girl lecture her on underwear selection.
“Okay, I’ll go try these on,” Yoriko said, picking out some pieces to take to the changing room.
While she was gone, Aiko sidled up to Yuichi. “Hey. About what we talked about on the phone yesterday. You should sneak out and go looking for it now. This is probably the best time.”
“You don’t think the underwear is enough?”
“That’s just giving back what I borrowed from her. And I don’t think it works if it’s something she asked for.”
“Is that right? So I just pick out something with the money you lent me?”
“Yeah. I won’t tell you to pay me back if you have some left over, but don’t be stingy, either, okay?”
Yuichi finally seemed to relent, and left the lingerie shop, scratching his head. Aiko breathed a sigh of relief as she watched him go.
But there really are a lot of them, huh? Aiko thought, lifting up a piece of underwear with a bold design.
“Noro!”
Aiko jumped as she was suddenly addressed. She turned around to see Yoriko beckoning her into the changing room. Thinking she might need help, Aiko went to join her. “What’s wrong?”
Yoriko immediately reached out and pulled her into the room.
“Huh? What is it?”
“Nothing. Anyway, take off your clothes.” Yoriko was already in her underwear. She was busty for a girl in middle school, as Aiko had already noticed the first time they’d met.
“But why?!”
“You can’t try on underwear if you don’t take your clothes off!”
“I’m sorry, I have no idea what you’re talking about...”
“As long as you’re here, you should buy some, too. You need a bra that really fits you. I can’t stand watching people slack off about this kind of thing. It drives me nuts.”
Aiko cast Yoriko a dubious glance. It was hard to believe she was really doing this out of the kindness of her heart.
“Well, and I guess I’m also scouting you out. Anyway, take it off. I won’t accept your present if you don’t.”
Grudgingly, Aiko relented, and began to take off her clothes, as she was told.
“Huh? You’ve got such a childish face, I figured you’d have the body to match, but you’re actually pretty curvy...” Yoriko scrutinized Aiko’s body with some degree of surprise.
“C-Could you not stare at me?” It was a little embarrassing, even if they were both girls.
“But that drab underwear is not helping...”
“What’s the big deal? Isn’t it better for you if I’m not very sexy?”
“Oh? Why would that be better for me? What are you basing that on? What an annoying thing to say...”
“I didn’t mean anything all that serious by it...” She might not be a bad kid, but Aiko still found her paranoia a little scary.
After a few momen
ts’ thought, Yoriko moved around behind her, and in an instant, had unhooked Aiko’s bra.
“Huh?!”
“Now, now, don’t try to resist. No ordinary girl can read my movements.”
“Eek!”
A new bra was on her in a flash. Aiko let out a cry of shock as the hands came around to grab her from behind. Yoriko giggled at first, then stopped, standing stock still.
“This is... I mean, I thought we were about the same size, but...”
“H-Hey! Stop! That tickles!”
Yoriko mumbled sourly as she secured Aiko’s breasts inside the bra cups.
Once everything was in place, Aiko cast a glance at the mirror. What she saw sent a shock of delight through her: She had cleavage.
Aiko ended up buying underwear for both Yoriko and herself.
Then they met up with Yuichi, headed for the food court, and secured a table for four. Yuichi sat on one side, with Aiko and Yoriko across from him.
“You wouldn’t believe how cute Noro was acting, shouting ‘Cleavage! I’ve got cleavage!’” Yoriko announced.
“Hey! I told you to stop saying that!” Aiko felt a bit embarrassed about how excited she had been.
“Is that all the shopping we need to do?” Yuichi asked. “If so, I guess we can go home after we eat.”
“Huh?” Aiko asked, surprised. She had assumed they would spend a little more time window shopping.
“So this is why you can’t get a girlfriend,” Yoriko muttered, as if making a connection.
“Sakaki, you’ve never had a girlfriend?” Aiko asked, surprised by Yoriko’s revelation.
“Is there some reason you need to know?” Yoriko whispered, lightly kicking Aiko in the shin.
“I don’t know! It just seemed like a natural question! You’re the one who brought up girlfriends, Yoriko...” Aiko whispered back.
“I haven’t,” Yuichi responded, without a trace of defensiveness.
“D-Do you want one?” Aiko asked, feeling slightly emboldened.
Yoriko’s face screwed up again. “Seriously, why do you want to know? Then again, I’ve never heard him explain his views on romance... so let’s hear it.” Yoriko seemed to have talked herself out of her newly-building head of steam.
The Half-Baked Vampire vs. The Strongest Little Sister?! Page 6