The Reasons We Like Each Other
I had been thinking about it for quite a while.
“What?”
“The reason I like you, sis.”
“Hey. Is that really something to agonize over for so long?”
“Anyway.”
We wandered the streets together again. Our next destination was a massive department store with a cinema inside. Even on a weekday, I worried the place would be crowded. The kiss mark on my cheek was still glaringly obvious, after all.
If anyone picks a fight, I’ll just fold them in half.
A café, a department store, a movie theater. It was a painfully cliché date route, but no matter how hard we racked our brains, nothing better came to mind. Everything felt the same. That’s probably why everyone ends up at places like these. Oh well. It wasn’t like there were any other obvious options.
“So. What is it? The answer you thought so hard about.”
“Um… the way you act is cute.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The way you like me so much but pretend you don’t, acting all innocent. It’s kind of like a cat. Adorable. Should I buy you a headband while we’re here?”
“You’re just twisting my ‘I hate it’ into whatever you want again.”
“Yeah. This. The way you get all tsundere and say you’re embarrassed.”
I messed up her hair, and she immediately lunged at me in irritation. I caught her around the waist, lifted her off the ground, spun her in a circle, and set her down again.
“You’re making me dizzy!”
“If you like it, just say so. Aren’t you cold? Come closer.”
“Watching you act like this is making me so annoyed I’m actually hot.”
“I get cold when you pull away from me. Both my body and my heart.”
“Freeze to death then, for all I care.”
Her tone was sharp, but when I asked, she slipped her arm through mine anyway. I wasn’t sure if she was doing it on purpose or if there was some deeper calculation behind it, but yeah. I loved this side of her.
“Also… is there any other reason you like me? Don’t tell me you’ve already run out.”
It was nearly lunchtime, so more people were starting to mill about. A few of them glanced at my cheek as they passed.
What are you looking at? My sis did this.
I wanted to square up to them confidently, but honestly it was a little embarrassing. Especially when girls my age walked by giggling. Maybe I should ask her to wipe it off soon.
“You, sis, um…”
“You keep going ‘um’ and ‘uh’ from earlier. Can’t you just answer right away? You always say you like me like it’s a habit, but I guess that was all bullshit. I’m so disappointed.”
“If you roll out the mat, the idiot has to lie on it, right? Um, yeah. When you’re concentrating.”
“Concentrating?”
“You look cool when you’re focused. Sometimes you come out to the living room and just stare at your laptop.”
“………”
“It was seriously cool. Um… honestly, it’s sexy. Is that kind of compliment okay?”
“…Yeah.”
“And when you smile. Whether you’re smiling while teasing me or smiling because you’re happy, I love how your eyes curve into little crescent moons.”
“Aren’t you just copying what I said about your smile being pretty?”
“…I won’t deny it. Still, there’s no picking on someone for calling something pretty when it actually is pretty.”
“You throw around ‘you’re so pretty’ so much that it loses all weight. Are you actually saying it because I’m pretty, or are you just saying it to make me feel good?”
“If that’s how you feel, I’ll have to start giving detailed explanations from now on. Sis, the way your hair flutters looks like a scene from a movie, so it’s pretty.”
“…Thank you. But I’m not really happy about it. It feels like you’re forcing yourself to say it.”
“Cut me some slack. This is my first time liking someone too. Anyway, now it’s my turn to listen.”
“To what?”
“Why you like me.”
“What have you been hearing this whole time? I keep telling you I hate you.”
“Then change it to why you haven’t killed me yet even though you hate me so much. Why you don’t stab me with a knife while I’m sleeping.”
“…Because I don’t want to go to prison.”
“You’ll get in trouble if you lie.”
As we stepped inside the department store, the chaotic mix of cosmetic scents hit my nose like a hammer. Everyone was shouting about their products at the top of their lungs, but none of it could compare to the scent of my sister’s skin. Sniff, sniff. It might sound weird to call it a substitute for a gas mask, but I buried my nose in the crown of her head. The sweet smell of shampoo mixed with the faint scent of sweat was intoxicating.
“Hey. I told you not to do that where there are lots of people. It’s embarrassing.”
“You’re the one who left lipstick all over my face and now you’re saying that? Do you think I have no shame at all?”
“You clearly do have a lot of nerve, judging by how you act toward me.”
She pinched the cheek that didn’t have the lipstick mark. It hurt.
“Anyway, stop teasing me and tell me why you like me.”
“…I don’t like you.”
“Tsk. I’m really going to kiss you then. Passionately. So that every single person here is staring only at us.”
“You say that while claiming you have no shame. That is… you… um…”
It took longer than I expected. So it really was that hard for her to say. I was starting to feel a little hurt.
“Oh, right. You’re kind.”
“I-is that so?”
“Honestly, based on how you treat me, you should be handcuffed and locked up somewhere. But still, you handle all the housework even though it must be annoying.”
Because you don’t do any of it.
“Even when I get irritated, you endure it and let it slide.”
Do I?
These days I’d been fighting back a little. It felt unfair to always be the one taking it.
“You cook pretty well too. Way better than those half-assed restaurants that serve mediocre food.”
“You have a nice body. The fact that you exercise consistently shows you’re pretty diligent.”
“You look decent enough. At least I’m not embarrassed to walk around with you.”
“Your hands are big and manly. I feel it every time you stroke me—they feel reliable.”
“You’re tall. It’s rare to see a guy as tall as you.”
“And, and…”
My sister kept listing all kinds of things about me.
“Sis.”
“Huh? Yeah.”
“How were you listening to every single thing I said? This is actually really embarrassing.”
My face grew hot.
“It’s not that embarrassing, is it? I’m just stating facts.”
“You might be able to brush it off so casually, but I can’t.”
“So you’ve finally discovered shame. You’re finally becoming more human.”
She gave my butt a couple of light pats.
“…Somehow it feels like I just took a hit. So, what do you want to do now? Browse the department store? Or go to the cinema?”
“Let’s look at clothes. We can watch movies at home anyway.”
“Honestly, it’s too expensive.”
“Agreed.”
We first tilted our heads at the luxury brand section. A slim, handsome guy stood at the entrance, guiding customers.
“I’m better looking than him, right?”
“Where did your conscience go?”
“Come on, sis. Be honest.”
“…He does look like nothing but skin and bones.”
“I could probably fold him in half.”
“Hey. Stop saying such barbaric things.”
“That must be insanely expensive, right?”
“It’d probably cost two months’ salary for a regular office worker.”
“No joke.”
“You talk about watches sometimes. Aren’t those expensive? The price is basically the same as a normal person’s annual salary.”
“If you add the options, a tranquilizer dart comes out.”
“Eh, really?”
“Idiot, of course that’s bullshit.”
“You said it so confidently.”
If we lingered near the store, the staff would slowly approach us like hunting dogs. May I help you find anything? Still, they were nice. No matter how you looked at us, we just looked like a college couple. What money would we have to buy something like that?
A little further along, this time a slim, beautiful woman was guiding customers from inside the store.
“Sis. I’m saying this with complete sincerity—you’re way prettier than her.”
“Thank you.”
“In moments like this you should at least pretend to jump for joy. Like, ‘Oh my! Really?’ with an exclamation.”
“What exactly do you expect from your own sister? Are you insane?”
“The higher-ups at this department store would hire you on the spot. Ah, but if a real pain-in-the-ass customer shows up, it might be trouble. They’d probably tell them to fuck off if they weren’t buying anything.”
“If someone like you showed up, they probably would.”
“It’s too expensive here. I can’t even browse comfortably. It feels burdensome.”
“Shall we head up then?”
We went upstairs. While riding the escalator I deliberately stuck close behind her. She was wearing a skirt, so I was worried.
“Let’s go that way.”
“Whoa. That’s disgustingly expensive. Is that thing made of gold? It’s just stainless steel with some coloring anyway.”
“Hey. Keep your voice down.”
“Expensive things are expensive. The people selling them probably think the same thing.”
“Look at you acting all smart.”
I followed after her like a puppy as she browsed around.
“That dress the mannequin is wearing. That one’s pretty.”
“It’s too flashy. It’s overwhelming.”
“What about that one? It’s plain like you said.”
“It is, but it’s way too black. It’s not like we’re going to a funeral.”
“This is hard.”
“Don’t just throw out random suggestions. If you want to recommend something, actually think about whether it would suit me first.”
“I am thinking. You have pretty legs, sis, so dresses look good on you.”
“…Still. The truth is I feel a little empty every time I wear a skirt.”
“Yet you still wore one for your beloved little brother. I’m about to cry.”
“As if. Then go ahead and cry your eyes out. Or I’ll leave you here.”
“What if I get lost? They’ll immediately start broadcasting ‘Looking for my beloved sister.’”
“Yeah~ I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything and keep walking.”
“Aw. There you go again.”
Leaning against her almost like I was hanging off her, the two of us continued wandering through the department store.
“Are you getting hungry yet?”
“A little bit. You too?”
“Yeah.”
“Should we go outside and eat something? I wonder if there are any good restaurants nearby.”
“Or we can just eat here. It’s a weekday, so it should be quiet.”
“Department store food is expensive though.”
“I’ll buy.”
“I don’t want to burden my beloved sis.”
“Pay me back double later. I’ll take that bag I saw earlier as payment.”
“How many times are you planning to mark it up? You’re not a writer, you’re a scammer.”
Chatting and laughing, we stepped onto the elevator. After we ate, what should we do next? What would make her happy? Maybe I should secretly look it up on my phone. How to plan a good date schedule to enjoy with your lover.