The next day, the doorbell rang just as the sun was beginning its descent in the late afternoon. Miho, who had the day off from work, answered the door. I was in the living room, playing games, and I heard Hana's voice.

"Heeey Mihoo~♡"

My curiosity piqued, I paused my game and made my way to the door to see what was going on. As I swung the door open, I was met with the familiar face of Hana. I grinned in excitement.

"Hana-chan!" I exclaimed.

“Hey, Kaede-chan. Hope we’re not bothering!”

We’re?

My eyes widened in surprise as I noticed another person standing beside her. It was Sakura, the shy girl I had met the day before. I hadn't expected to see her again so soon.

"Sakura-chan?" I blurted out, taken aback.

Sakura's cheeks turned a delicate shade of pink as she nodded timidly. "H-hello, Kaede-chan."

Miho, who had followed me to the door, wore a knowing smile. "Surprised to see her, Kaede-chan?"

I scratched my head, a bit flustered by the unexpected visit. "Yeah, I had no idea she'd be coming over."

“But why is she with Hana-chan?”

“Hm? Didn’t you know? Hana and Sakura-chan are sisters!”

That explains why she walked with me all the way to my house yesterday…

Hana chuckled. "I wanted to thank you properly for helping Sakura yesterday. She's been talking about it non-stop."

“H…Hana-nee!” Sakura said, flustered.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I was just passing on the favor you did for me back then.”

Hana started laughing. “I see. What goes around comes around, huh!”

Hana's words made me pause for a moment.

That's not quite how you use that saying, I thought, followed by an awkward smile.

Well, close enough, I guess.

With that, we all stepped inside, and Miho and I welcomed our guests into the living room. Sakura's shyness gradually faded as the conversation flowed, and I was glad to see her becoming more comfortable around us.

"So, Sakura-chan, you mentioned yesterday that you're a big fan of manga, right?" I inquired, aiming to keep the conversation light and engaging.

Before Sakura could respond, Hana chimed in with an affectionate smile playing on her lips. "Actually, Sakura-chan's love for manga goes way beyond reading; she wants to become a mangaka herself."

Sakura's cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink as she mumbled, "Hana-nee, you didn't have to mention that..."

I was genuinely surprised. "You make manga, Sakura-chan? That's amazing!"

Sakura seemed a bit embarrassed by the praise. "Well, I try, but my stories aren't very good..."

Hana patted Sakura's shoulder affectionately. "Nonsense, Sakura-chan. You've got real talent, and with practice, you'll get even better!"

I could see the genuine belief and encouragement in Hana's eyes, and it seemed to mean the world to Sakura.

Miho, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. "You know, Kaede-chan wants to become a light novel author, so she knows a thing or two about stories. Maybe you two can help each other out."

I blinked in surprise, not expecting Miho to volunteer me so readily. "I… I'm still not that great as a writer..."

Sakura’s eyes lit up with interest. “Really? You write light novels, Kaede-chan?”

My cheeks reddened slightly as I nodded shyly. "Y-yeah... But, honestly, I’m not that great, or well, my characters aren’t..."

Hana’s eyes twinkled with determination. "That's exactly why you should learn and grow together. Kaede-chan can help Sakura-chan with her stories, and Sakura-chan can help Kaede-chan with her characters!”

Both Sakura and I looked at Hana, intrigued by her suggestion. I felt a warm blush creep up my cheeks.

"If... Sakura-chan is up for it, I'd be more than willing," I said, trying to hide any excitement in my voice.

Sakura's eyes sparkled with resolve. "I'd love to work with you, Kaede-san!"

Miho chimed in, her smile radiant. "That settles it then. Kaede, why don't you take Sakura to your room? You can discuss your ideas in more detail there."

The suggestion took me by surprise. Taking a girl to my room, especially one in middle school, wasn't something I had anticipated. However, when I looked at Sakura, her eyes brimming with genuine excitement, I couldn't gather the courage to refuse.

"Y-yeah, let's go to my room, Sakura-chan," I stammered, trying my best to hide my embarrassment.

Why do I get a feeling that Miho just wanted to be alone with Hana-chan…

As we headed towards my room, a wave of anticipation and nervousness washed over me. I couldn't help but worry: Did I leave anything odd in my room? Did I remember to get rid of all my erotic manga? Such worries seemed futile, as Sakura was definitely going to see inside my room. So with a sigh, trying to leave all nervousness behind, I opened the door.

“Safe!” I yelled out in relief.

Sakura arched an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "Hm?"

I quickly added, "Ah... nothing to worry about. Let's just head inside."

We entered my room, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that everything appeared normal. My collection of manga and light novels was neatly arranged on shelves, and there were no embarrassing secrets lurking about. As Sakura looked around, her eyes widened with awe.

"Wow, Kaede-chan, your room is so... boyish," Sakura remarked, taking in the array of gaming consoles and games neatly arranged on shelves.

I scratched my head, feeling a bit self-conscious. "Yeah, I guess I'm a bit of a gaming nerd... Sorry if it's too much."

Sakura's face lit up with excitement. "No way! It's so cool! I've always liked gaming too."

I perked up. "Really? What types of games do you like?"

Sakura pondered for a moment, her eyes bright with thought. "I'm really into single-player story games. They let me dive into different worlds and stories, you know?"

Her answer resonated with me. "That's awesome! I love those too. There's something magical about getting lost in a good story."

“What about you? What are your favorite types of games?” Sakura asked.

Sakura's question made me think for a moment. I scratched my head with a sheepish grin. "Well, I've always been big fan of MMORPG’s and fighting games, to be honest."

Sakura's eyes widened with curiosity. "Fighting games? Like the ones where you have to pay money to unlock new characters?”

I chuckled, remembering the amount of time I spent cursing at games for locking new characters behind real money. "Exactly! It's all about mastering your character's moves. What do you say, wanna give it a try?"

Sakura's face lit up with excitement. "Sure, I'd love to!"

I picked out one of my favorite fighting games and handed her a controller. We settled in front of the TV, and I explained the basic controls to her.

"Alright, Sakura-chan, let's see how good you are at this!"

We started our first match, and Sakura's initial button mashing soon turned into coordinated moves. She was a quick learner, and it didn't take long for her to get the hang of it.

Despite her efforts, I managed to win the first round, then the second, and finally, the third.

"Hey, Sakura-chan," I began, trying to sound considerate. "I'm sorry if this isn't as fun for you. I'm just used to playing these kinds of games..."

Sakura interrupted me with a beaming smile. "No need to apologize, Kaede-chan! I'm having a blast. This is the first time I've played games with a friend, and it's so much fun!"

Hearing her call me a friend made my heart skip a beat, and I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks. It was unexpected, but a warm feeling settled within me.

"Me too, Sakura-chan," I replied, my voice a bit softer than usual. "Let's keep having fun together."

With that, we continued to play games, laughter and excitement filling my room. As the evening sun bathed my room in a warm glow, I couldn't help but appreciate the simple joy of spending time with a new friend who shared my love for gaming.