Tsukiko swayed slowly from side to side on the chair, humming.

From time to time, Taiyou-kun turned and looked at her, but soon returned to what he was doing, never saying a word.

You wanna tell me to stop, she knew, her smile broadening. She was also absolutely sure the overly polite boy would never say something this rude, so he simply resumed cooking their breakfast.

“What’s the matter, Taiyou-kun?” she teased him, stopping her swaying. The girl also knew there was another reason the boy wouldn’t tell her to stop. He’s just as happy as me. Tsukiko had already caught him grinning twice.

“You two seem too happy this early in the morning,” a voice said, followed by a yawn.

Tsukiko turned her head. “Rin-nee!” Even if the sight of the woman coming from the bedroom wearing nothing but a shirt and a short surprised the girl the first time she saw, now she was used to it, and her smile grew. “Good morning!”

“Morning.” The boy’s aunt yawn again, rubbing her temples. “Could you please not speak so loud?”

“Okay,” Tsukiko said as the woman sat next to her. The girl stopped swaying on her seat.

“Thanks.” Rin-nee rested her forehead on the counter. She groaned suddenly, her voice muffled. “Never again, I swear. Thanks, Taiyou,” she added when the boy brought her a cup of coffee.

“You say this every time,” Taiyou-kun whispered. It wasn’t loud enough for his aunt to hear, but it was enough for Tsukiko, and the girl chuckled.

“It wasn’t my fault.” After the first sip, Rin-nee seemed a bit more energetic. “It was all Sawako. Her daughter spent the past few days with her parents and is coming back today, so she wanted to ‘go wild’ before going back to motherhood.” She took another sip, this time taking her time to savor it. “I should’ve known she was missing Aika-chan. Wait… so it is my fault.” Despite her words, Tsukiko saw the smile on the woman’s lips. “So, why are you two so happy this early?”

“We’re gonna spend the day in Akihabara!” Tsukiko announced with her biggest smile yet.

Rin-nee widened her eyes so much the girl chuckled for the exaggerated reaction. “For his first time to be with a cute girl… My nephew’s not ready for that,” she said, shaking her head. “Ouch.” Suddenly she pressed her temple with the left hand.

Tsukiko laughed. Rin-nee never missed an opportunity to tease her nephew. I have much to learn with Rin-nee, she thought and then turned to the boy. His reactions are too adorable. Taiyou-kun blushed and tried to hide his face by turning his back to them.

“He may not be ready, but he’s gonna do his best for me,” she said, leaning turning to the boy. “Isn’t that right, Taiyou-kun?”

The boy didn’t answer. He kept cooking as if he heard nothing, but the girl could see even the tip of his ears reddening.

Rin-nee chuckled. “I can’t believe my little boy’s growing up,” she said, finishing her cup of coffee and filling it again. “What’s the special occasion?”

“My birthday,” Tsukiko said quickly, putting a lock of hair behind her ear.

Rin-nee widened her eyes again. This time Tsukiko knew it was for real. A second later, the woman had a smile on her lips. “Happy birthday, Tsukiko-chan.”

“Thanks,” the girl said. “It’s actually to-tomorrow.” She blushed a little and avoided the woman’s eyes.

Rin-nee stared her while drinking her coffee. “How old are you turning?”

“Fourteen.”

“Times goes by so fast. It feels like just yesterday I saw you with a randoseru,” Rin-nee said, almost singing. The girl blushed and kept quiet. The woman put a finger on her chin. “What should I give to a fourteen year-old?”

Tsukiko’s cheeks reddened even more. “There’s no need to trouble yourself,” she added quickly.

“It’s no trouble at all. You only turn fourteen once.” Rin-nee finish her coffee and rested the cup on the counter. “It’s been years since I turned, so I doubt it’s the same as in my days. And I’m sure you don’t the same as me,” she said, glancing at her bedroom door. “Oh, and don’t ask Sawako. She’ll say it’s been less time since she turned.” She laughed so loud she covered her mouth the next second.

Even Taiyou-kun smiled as he placed pancakes on two plates and handed to his aunt.

“Thanks. I’ll make sure Sawako knows who cooked it. The last thing I want is to say it wasn’t me over and over.” Rin-nee grabbed a bed tray from the cabinets, placed the food and coffee and took it to her bedroom.

When they were alone again, Taiyou-kun handed Tsukiko her plate. She took a big sniff and her stomach rumbled as response. “Thanks for the food!” the girl said, bringing her hands together.

She waited as Taiyou-kun sat on the chair and did the same as she. Though he mumbled his thanks, the girl felt the excitement on his voice. With a huge smile, Tsukiko took the first bite from her first birthday present off the day. He already made my day with this, she thought, taking another bite.

As soon as they finished, they were heading to the train station. “We’ll go to the event first. Then we can hit the game center, and afterwards we can eat something at a maid café,” Tsukiko announced, counting their plans with her fingers. With no reaction from him, she glanced down at the boy on her side; his face was slightly red, and the girl had a sudden urge to tease him. “Taiyou-kun, I know you’ve never been to a maid café, so I must warn you. It’s not like in the anime. Even though you’re too cute, the maids will get mad if you look under their skirt, so you better not be planning anything like that.”

Taiyou-kun turned to her at the same instant, his face an alarming shade of red. “I’d never do something that!”

It was even better than I expected, she thought, laughing. Tsukiko’s her hand flew to the boy’s head, messing his hair.

Silence reigned as they climbed aboard the train; he was too embarrassed to say anything and Tsukiko was humming all the way to Akihabara. She made no effort to contain her huge smile, too happy to care if people looked at her.

Even when they arrived at Akihabara, there was still no conversation between them. Taiyou-kun had forgotten his embarrassment and now stared around, his eyes wide open. Is he trying to see everything at once? The girl wondered as she watched his reaction. The boy turned his head in every direction, his eyes stopping at anything that called his attention.

Taiyou-kun saw a company mascot trying to bring people to the store. He watched the huge screen on the building when an idol group appeared dancing on a commercial. He looked at a group walking around wearing cosplays.

They’re not half bad, Tsukiko thought, taking her eyes from Taiyou-kun for a moment and staring the group as well. The guy’s bandana has the wrong symbol, though. And the girl’s knee sock is black instead of dark blue, her inner critic screamed the minor flaws. When she realized what she was doing, the girl sighed. Why I’m complaining? My lonely cosplay is full of flaws too… and I didn’t had the courage to bring it today… Tsukiko shook her head, dismissing the thoughts. Why I’m doing this? I should be enjoying my birthday with Taiyou-kun.

She turned her attention back to the boy. He had taken his eyes from the cosplayers and now stared at something with his cheeks red. Tsukiko followed his line of sight and then chuckled. A maid with cat ear and a tail handing flyers from a café.

Tsukiko lowered her head and leaned closer to his ear. “Why are you ogling her that much?” she whispered. Taiyou-kun gasped and turned to her, his eyes wide open. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but no words came from him. She laughed. “You really have a maid fetish, you erobrat.” With his cheeks bright red, he looked down, avoiding her eyes. Her smile growing thinner and thinner as guilt poked her conscious and she stopped teasing him. Tsukiko looked around and then pulled him by the hand. “Come one, we don’t wanna be late,” she said

Taiyou-kun raised his eyes and she indicated the huge screen on the building. The idols were gone, and now it was showing a commercial about the My Guardian Persona event. The one that would start in thirty minutes and they would attend. The boy smiled and then raced up a little, catching up and walking side by side with her, not letting go of her hand.

With eight floors and only a banner with the name hanging on its side, they would have never paid much attention to the building. Today was different though. The bookstore, which already contained many books, manga, and light novels Tsukiko would buy in a heartbeat, was the place of the signing event.

“It’s bigger than the photos, right?” Tsukiko asked without taking her eyes from the building. No matter how many times I come, this place’s still impressive. When there was no answer from the boy, she turned her head. Taiyou-kun wasn’t listening to her, his stare fixed on the banner. “Come on.”

There was a line at the entrance. Thought there were many kids with their moms and dads, there was considerable number of older guys alone. Are they here for the event too…? Suddenly Tsukiko felt the hand boy’s hand tightening around hers and she smile as they got in line to enter.

“Excuse me,” said an employer when the line started walking. He waited as the customers turned to him. “If you are for the signing event, please have your tickets at hand and proceed to the elevator.”

Many parents did as bid. Tsukiko pulled their tickets with the free hand as they entered.

Despite all the shelves and pile of book here and there, there was space to walk without bumping into anyone. Tsukiko realized why right away. They put away too many books for today.

As they walked through the hallways, Tsukiko did her best to not look the shelves. If I look the manga, I’ll lose track of time… again… With her eyes set on the back wall, she pulled Taiyou-kun, noticing how he was distinctly heavier to pull. Guess he’s just like me, she thought, chuckling.

There was a line to use the elevator. “I never thought it’d be this crowded,” she said, sighing. “I’m happy the manga is getting the popularity it deserves, but I wished it weren’t this many people…”

“I don’t think that’s the only reason,” he said in his low voice.

She looked at him and he indicated a poster with his head. An advertise for the latest volume of Trouble, a popular manga that was getting an anime in the next season. She raised her head and looked around. That wasn’t the only poster. In fact, this poster was all around the store, almost as many as the signing event poster.

“So that’s why…” Tsukiko finally knew the reason there were so many older guys alone. “I can’t believe both things ended up on the same day.”

“Hey… I’ve seen this manga on your room,” Taiyou-kun said, his eyes fixed on the poster as the line to the elevator walked. “What’s about?”

“Ah, it’s an ecchi harem about a guy who met this alien princess…” Tsukiko said uninterested. Then she realized what she said and widened her eyes as she truly looked at the poster. The woman with ample buxom holding the main character as a doll. “No, Taiyou-kun. Don’t look at it. You’re too pure and innocent for that!”

“Meaning you’re not?” the boy asked in the same low voice, looking at her with his clear eyes.

His words drew muffled laughs from the nearby customers. Tsukiko blushed and messed his hair to hide her embarrassment. “You’re spending too much time with me. You’d never say something like that before.”

Even though she was still red, when she saw the boy laughing, all her embarrassment went away, and she couldn’t help but smile as well. He’s opened up to me, she thought, holding his hand tighter. Maybe I can be the fun sister… since there’s no way I can’t be the reliable big sister type now. An hollow laughed echoed in her head.

They said nothing else as they became the first in line. The moment the doors opened again, an employer asked for the tickets. After she collected them all, she pressed the last floor button.

The room where the event would occur could held almost a thousand people. At least according to what Tsukiko had read on the bookstore website. Even so, it was almost full.

On the opposite wall to the elevator was the stage where the authors would answer a few questions and where the voice actors would perform an original short play written by the authors themselves. Behind it, there was the huge screen where they would show part of the original OVA that would be sold with the special edition of the latest volume.

We definitely need to grab two copies right now. Otherwise it might be sold out, Tsukiko thought, as she headed to the stands with the manga/DVD bundle. Halfway to the stands, the girl stopped moving. Taiyou-kun pulled her a little before realizing the girl wasn’t moving anymore, and stopped too.

“What’s wrong?”

“Taiyou-kun!” Tsukiko whispered, her voice brimming with joy. She shook the boy’s hand to call his attention even further

“What?” He asked tilting his head.

“Look!” The boy did bid, and then turned back to her with the same puzzled look. She stared him bewildered. “It’s Yuuno-sensei!”

Grabbing the manga/DVD bundle at that moment, was a girl dressed with a short shorts, blue and white knee socks, a puffy white shirt and a big had with a spade shaped brooch. “She’s one of the best cosplayers I know.”

The cosplayer was trying to balance the manga and the huge blue brush she was holding when the girl walked towards her, pulling Taiyou-kun without realizing. “Tsukiko-chan!” the cosplayer exclaimed, her surprised expression turning into a smile. “I didn’t know you were coming,” Yuuno-sensei said when they were close enough. “Taiyou-kun?!”

Tsukiko blinked and looked between the cosplayer and the boy. “You two know each other?”

They both avoided her eyes. Taiyou-kun looked around, suddenly finding the event room more interesting than at first. Yuuno-sensei covered her face and had an awkward smile on her lips.

Before anyone of them said anything, the lights dimmed and a spotlight appeared on the stage. “Please take your seats,” a voice said on the sound system…

“That was great!” Tsukiko said when they entered the line to the elevator. She stretched her arms, the sac with the manga/DVD, booklet and drama CD she gave herself as present bumping on her elbow slightly.

“Yeah, it was,” Taiyou-kun agreed, his smile growing. “Do you think they’ll add the play on the manga or the anime?”

“You should’ve asked that yourself. Not only you got the signs from the authors, you even got the voice actors too.” She poked one of his cheek, taking out her little frustration. She had lost her chance to get all the signs because of a guy who was clinging too much with the main character’s voice actress, shaking her hand as if she was his goddess. The staff had to ask him keep going, but by that time the line had stop for too long, and Tsukiko ended up losing one signature. “But you were too busy drooling over them.”

The boy blushed and looked away. Yuuno-sensei chuckled. “You two are really good friends.”