Yuki looked away from the crumb at the corner of Qiluo's mouth. Her fingers twitched, but in the end, she simply pulled a tissue from her bag and set it on the table.
“Today is the day we're meeting my sister. She's already arrived and is waiting for us at home.”
“Mhm, I remember. I met her during my physical exam at the hospital last time. Your sister is very pretty, and you two look quite alike.” Qiluo took another bite.
Yuki blinked.
She hadn't heard Qiluo mention this before, but then she realized it was indeed just like something Qiluo would do.
This nonchalant attitude actually put Yuki at ease; it meant her sister at least hadn't done anything to make things difficult for Qiluo at the hospital.
Yuki watched the breadcrumb sway gently at the corner of Qiluo's mouth with every chew.
It was stuck on quite firmly, refusing to fall off even after wobbling several times. Completely oblivious, Qiluo continued biting her bread, chewing as she reached for another piece on the table.
Yuki's fingers tightened on her knees and then relaxed. Finally, she drew a tissue, leaned forward slightly, and gently pressed her fingertips against the corner of Qiluo's mouth through the thin paper.
“There's a crumb.” Her wiping motion was incredibly light, merely sweeping along the curve of Qiluo's mouth. The crumb adhered to the tissue and was swept away.
She folded the tissue, placed it on the corner of the table, and sat up straight once more.
“...Thanks.”
Qiluo swallowed the bread in her mouth. “By the way, when your sister did my physical at the hospital, her technique was quite professional. Her fingers were a bit cold, though. Next time, she should probably warm up her hands before touching a patient.”
Yuki knew about her sister's cold fingers; she had always been like that, her hands growing cold whenever she got nervous.
But why would her sister be nervous while examining Qiluo? She tucked this question away in her mind for the time being, planning to observe her sister closely when they met.
Qiluo finished the last piece of bread, brushed the powdered sugar off her hands, and stood up. She walked over to the wardrobe and slid the door open. Her fingertips lightly brushed past a few hanging clothes before she turned to look at Yuki.
“What kind of style does your sister like? Since it's our first official meeting, it probably wouldn't be good to dress too casually.”
“My sister doesn't really care about those things. Just wear whatever you find comfortable.”
Yuki replied earnestly, her eyes scanning Qiluo's open wardrobe. She saw a few neatly folded convenience store uniforms, some plain T-shirts, and a long skirt.
That was the entirety of Qiluo's wardrobe—so simple that it brought back that soft, aching feeling in Yuki's chest.
But she was telling the truth; her sister really didn't care about what others wore.
If her sister dared to nitpick Qiluo's outfit, she would speak up in Qiluo's defense.
Qiluo pulled out a white short-sleeved shirt and a dark blue long skirt, holding them up against herself.
“This set it is, then.” She took a couple of steps toward the bathroom, pausing at the door. She looked back at Yuki, her lips curling into a subtle, teasing smile. “Do you want to watch me change?”
Yuki spun her chair around instantly to face away from the bathroom, her ears burning hot.
Qiluo's soft laughter drifted from behind her, followed by the sound of the bathroom door closing.
The door clicked shut with a very soft snap.
Yuki listened to the faint rustling of fabric behind her.
With her hands clasped over her knees, she fixed her gaze on the small green plant outside the window, silently counting its leaves in her mind.
One, two, three...
Was Qiluo joking, or was she being serious? Yuki couldn't be sure.
But she had already taken it to heart.
The sound of the door lock turning came from behind her.
Yuki didn't turn around immediately. She only looked up when she heard Qiluo's footsteps round the foot of the bed and come to a stop in front of her.
The white short-sleeved shirt paired with the dark blue long skirt was completely different from the style of the school uniform she usually wore.
There was no ribbon at the collar, leaving it slightly open, and the shadow beneath her collarbone shifted gently with her movements.
“Let's go. Though honestly, my impression of your sister is actually pretty good. Last time when she examined me at the hospital—” Qiluo stopped mid-sentence, as if weighing her words.
Yuki's fingers tightened slightly on her knees.
She noticed Qiluo's pause, and a thought she was reluctant to admit flashed through her mind: had something happened while her sister was examining Qiluo that Qiluo found awkward to talk about?
“...It's nothing. Anyway, your sister is quite nice.” In the end, Qiluo just smiled and lightly brushed the topic aside.
She picked up her coat from the back of the chair, draping it over her arm. “Let's go, we shouldn't keep her waiting too long.”
She turned and walked toward the entryway, and Yuki rose from her chair to follow.
“Did my sister ask you any strange questions at the hospital last time?”
Qiluo, who was bending over to tie her shoelaces, looked up at Yuki, a thoughtful expression on her face.
“She only asked standard physical exam questions. However—”
She finished tying her laces and stood up. “You and your sister really are alike. When there's something you want to know, you never ask directly. You only beat around the bush.”
So that was how she and her sister looked in Qiluo's eyes.
“I'll tell you after we get in the car.” Qiluo opened the door and looked back at her from the hallway, gently closing it behind them once Yuki stepped out.
The car smoothly pulled out of the alley where the apartment was located and merged onto the main road.
Yuki sat beside her, her seatbelt fastened neatly.
“During my exam last time, your sister suddenly asked me if I had any hobbies.”
“I remember thinking, 'Wow, so physicals at this hospital actually come with an interview phase.'”
“My sister... isn't very good at small talk.”
“Then she asked who I usually eat lunch with. I said with you, and another friend. She put her stethoscope away and started organizing the clipboards on her desk, rearranging all the pens by color.”
Qiluo withdrew her gaze from the car window and turned to look at Yuki, her voice softening slightly.
“Your sister isn't bad at small talk. She was just very nervous, yet she still wanted to hear about you from me. Who your friends are, whether you're eating well, how you're doing at school. She was too embarrassed to ask directly, so she found another way.”
Yuki lowered her head. “She's never asked me those things directly. Every time she comes home, she just brings me books, asks how my grades are, and then goes back to her room. I thought she felt that was enough.”
“She probably assumed you felt that was enough too.” Qiluo leaned back against her seat, letting her eyes drift back to the street scenery outside the window.
Qiluo actually found Rin quite cute.
Just like Yuki, she was someone who appeared calm on the surface but easily panicked inside, except Rin wore an extra layer of disguise that said she "had to act like an adult."
It was always the most amusing when people who took themselves so seriously got flustered.
I wanted Yuki to see this side of her sister too, not just because I want her to understand Rin better, but also because... well, I hoped Yuki could relax.
She always took meeting her sister so seriously, as if we needed some kind of qualification just to meet.
Rate on N.U.
