The school was approaching inevitably. Some people already started doing the summer homework, while others enjoyed the fruits of their labor, and the select few were not even bothering with doing it in the first place.

Luckily, Tomo-chan has finished with everything and was free to do as I pleased.

I approached the door and pushed the doorbell.

‘Ding-Ding’

Some time later the door opened, and I saw a middle aged woman in apron.

“Hello, Toshiba-oneesan. Is Tomo-chan here?” Honestly, the last part was stating the obvious. I didn’t warn anybody about my arrival, and thus Tomo-chan had no time to slip away.

“Hello, Yuki-san. Have you come to study? Tomoko is upstairs. Would you two need some food?” Toshiba-oneesan led me in. From the doorstep I could smell something yummy coming from the kitchen.

“I think we won’t be studying for this long.”

“Then you absolutely should stay for a lunch.” The woman smiled and headed back to the kitchen, while I took off my shoes and proceeded to the stair.

On my way I noticed Tomo-chan’s brother sitting in front of TV, just like my Father does after work. Her brother is university student and sometimes tries to help Tomaka-chan with writing her homework, further decreasing her actual learning. Though I must admit, I too would occasionally spoil my little sister.

While I lingered, he noticed me.

“Hello, Minohara-san. Another sudden visit?” He chuckled.

“If only she studied by herself~.” I chuckled back.

“One day, one day…” Tomo-chan’s brother sighed, and returned to watching a news channel.

There were some business news, but I was not interested in them in the first place, so I went upstairs.

Without saying a word, I opened the door, catching Tomo-chan off guard.

“MOM, KNOCK BEFORE…!” Tomo-chan was in her underwear. The moment she noticed me, she covered herself with her arms.

“YUKI-CHAN?! WHAT THE…?!” She blushed. She was clearly mad, but for some reason couldn’t even look at me.

“GO OUT! GO OUT AND LET ME CHANGE! DO YOU HEAR ME?!” I sighed, and stepped out.

Like, 10 minutes later, she opened the door.

“Come in. Perv.” (T)

“As if it’s my first time seeing you almost naked. Ah, well, I saw you naked too.” It happens often when there are PE classes in the pool.

“It doesn’t mean you can barge in uninvited, without knocking, then stare at me, and also bring those books!” Tomo-chan whined, before she started clearing the table for us.

I sat down and started stacking the books and materials.

“So, how are you? And, yes, hi.”

“Hi… Not that I am all too happy to see you. Not with the bag.” Tomo-chan sighed, and obediently sat down.

“You may be cursing me doing this, but you’d say ‘thank you’ after you somehow pass the exams.”

“And that’s why I’m sitting here, instead of reading the manga.” (T)

“Still, I wish you’d study yourself too.”

“Come on, my marks are good!” (T)

“Because your brother does your homework from time to time.” I hit her right where it hurts.

Actually, even our first meeting started with her being chastised for not doing her homework by herself. Then I started looking after her, and the amount of time I was dedicating to her was only increasing, until we both found ourselves not just a mentor and the mentee, but as friends. However, her habits didn’t change at all…

“Ah, if only I had such a brother, who’d do everything for me…”

“Then marry him, damn it.” (T)

“And what if I do? Would you call me sister-in-law~?”

“Go and propose, I dare you.” She rested her head on the hand and grinned at me.

“First I should propose to somebody else. He is back-up option.”

“Pfft, as I thought. Just reminding you, same-sex marriages are not authorized in Japan.” (T)

“Why are you mentioning this?”

“Because sometimes you act as if you’re married to that person?” It was now my turn to sigh.

Though, maybe I can try… No, no way. My Queen is beyond my hopes.

Or…

“HEY! STOP DAYDREAMING, or I’ll be packing away those books.” Before Tomo-chan’s newly found resolve disappears, we started studying.