[ A letter this long, with so many exclamation marks, is just about enough to take away one's appetite in wondering what exactly Ayano is scheming, especially when Kano can't think of anything in particular he'd been doing "so well" at. It's been the same day in and day out, but maybe these calm, uneventful days are a result of doing well. Compared to anything else they'd all gone through, there's nothing Ayano can provide that's even scarier, right...?
He still wishes Seto and Kido hadn't gotten kicked out, though, leaving him to poke his head into the living room alone, waving the letter over his head. ]
It's a surprise! Well...it's half a surprise, and half, umm...what's the word again...a proposition?
[she saunters over to him and quickly wraps him in a tight hug that he has no say in whatsoever. It is happening whether he likes it or not, so he better get used to it.]
It's always so crowded these days! So I thought we could have this conversation just you and me...[she tries and fails to stifle a low sort of laugh.]
It's like when we were little, and you always wanted my undivided attention. Remember? [Oh, she knows he remembers alright. What's the point of being big sister if you can't tease your younger siblings?]
[ It's been years and it's still hard to get used to, steeling himself for the physical contact that doesn't come down hard and sharp, but rather warm and firm. Just like the first time Ayano had reached out and patted his head, getting hugged like this, years later, is still wildly embarrassing, even with nobody else around to see. ]
I remember, I remember! That's because Nee-chan's attention would always wander, otherwise!
[ Really, dragging them along to play superheroes and all that... Tentatively, he reaches out to poke the blanket laid across the table, setting his face as it is just in case whatever's under it starts to move or something like that. ]
What a place to invite somebody to a private conversation, right in the middle of the room...
[ No matter what canon I play from, it seems that people die in abandoned alleyways, so Kano withdraws his hands and holds them up on either side of his head, in surrender. ]
Alright, alright, my eyes are closed!
[ He has no choice but to trust her, and doesn't entertain the option of peeking through the gaps in her fingers. ]
Do I spin around three times in a circle, now? Do I get to swing around a stick?
[Ayano chuckles and sighs, perhaps a bit wistfully if Kano is paying close enough attention.]
You're so funny. Just stay still for a moment. [After ensuring that Kano isn't peeking, she moves around him to swipe the blanket off of the Goods™.
The goods in question being...a pair of black slacks and a neat, white button-down t-shirt. A summer uniform - beside it is a small stack of thin paperback books.]
Ah...You can open your eyes now...! [And when he does, Ayano is standing now a bit awkwardly next to the table with a nervous smile on her face. Really, she has no idea how he's going to react.]
[ When he opens his eyes, he isn't sure how he's supposed to react either. A uniform, and books, they're objects he recognizes but can't make the connection to. He spends a second staring down at the things on the table, before looking over at Ayano, who is clearly expecting something from him. ]
Nee-chan...
[ He turns slowly, steps forward, and places both hands on her shoulders. ]
Are you going to be okay? If you're worried about college, maybe you should get that guy to help you.
[ Neat clothes? Books?? Clearly they're for her, and not him. Sorry, he can't help her with studying. ]
She shakes her head, waving her arms about in front of her.]
Oh! Oh, no, it's not for me! I'm not, um, that's not it! See... [Her eyes scan all around the room before they can allow themselves to settle on Shuuya's face. When she speaks up again, her voice is unsure and meek.]
These could be for you. I mean, if you wanted...
[Wavering, wavering, you're wavering, Ayano!! Step up your game, Nee-chan!!!]
Ah! [She raises a finger, trying to reclaim some authority over the situation.][lol] I'm...grateful for the experiences I've had, and...I thought, maybe, if you wanted, this might be an experience you might want to have, too.
[ That guy who shall not be named, because he doesn't need to be. If anything, just thinking about that guy still makes Kano feel uneasy, the way he always associated Shintarou with school, being Ayano's classmate, her being away the entire day while Kano and the rest of them were left at home to play amongst themselves. It was what he preferred, as a child, and even later he wasn't particularly jealous or anything. ]
Eh... Is there a point to it, playing pretend so late in life? Wearing new clothes, laying around reading books, I can already do that, can't I?
[ Not to make it seem as if he's refusing all of Ayano's efforts, though, he picks up the shirt and holds it up to his chest, letting it unfold and smoothing it down. ]
It wouldn't be pretend! You don't have to change anything about yourself, Shuuya. School is...it's own experience. It's not just clothes and books...It's an intangible. You're not any lesser for not going, but...Maybe I'd be a bad sister if I didn't try to open you up to things that might be good for you.
...Of course, the choice is up to you! Ahaha, I'm not forcing you to do anything! I promise, I promise!
School, ah, Nee-chan wasn't very good at it, but you're naturally smart! Plus, even if I wasn't the best at school, it gave me a lot of memories that I still treasure. It helped me become an adult! [finger point!!]
You and Tsubomi and Kousuke...You're all already so responsible and mature, but when you get older...It's a deep wish of mine that you all be as prepared as possible. Things make sense now, living in the sleepy summertime daydream of our youth, but...The things that we think we know can only get us so far. Careers, relationships, family...I want my siblings to get the most they can out of life.
[She briefly pats Shuuya's cheek and smiles, channeling the way her Mother used to smile at her at night in bed.]
You don't need to be hiding away from the world. Whether it be here, at home, or in the Mekakushi Dan.
[ School sounds boring, difficult, scary- in these days, there's the internet for anything he doesn't know or is interested in learning more about, and all the friends Ayano had gotten to make became people he came to know too, so what more could he get out of going that he couldn't by just staying home and living how he'd always lived? He likes it just fine like this, everybody staying together- safe, "happy"- without giving thought to any future further than what they should have for dinner that evening.
Seto had been supporting them with his part time jobs, relationships ...he's not going to say anything about this... but family is something he already has and doesn't keep any more of, even though it'd become a lot more fun with each new person they'd pulled into their little Dan. All these reasons Ayano gives, the only one that's convincing is the one she swears isn't one- that the choice is his, and what he gets out of that is that going to school would make her happy, and that's the only reason he needs.
If he just thinks of it as a mission, then... ]
Hai, hai~ Say no more, I understand! You'll need my help convincing Seto and Kido, huh? Ah- I'd get to see Kido in a skirt! She'll hate that! I'll do my best!
Ah...uh, Shuuya, I'm glad that you're on board, but...I hope it isn't entirely based on embarassing Tsubomi. There's definitely better reasons than that! And you shouldn't be trying to do that in the first place! [A stern, reluctant half-smile follows.]
...The uniform might be a tough sell, though. You're right about that, ahah...
[ It isn't entirely based on that, but it's sure a huge contributing factor; it'd be fun getting to see that every day, getting to tease Kido every day, and eventually... she would stop going, wouldn't she? He would probably give her two or three days before she gets mad enough at him and stops going, and then all of Ayano's efforts would go to waste.
That'd be a shame. ]
...it'll be fine. If Nee-chan asks, I'm sure Kido would give it a try. If that doesn't work out, Dad can always teach us, can't he?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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He still wishes Seto and Kido hadn't gotten kicked out, though, leaving him to poke his head into the living room alone, waving the letter over his head. ]
What's this about, Nee... chan...
[ what is that ]
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It's a surprise! Well...it's half a surprise, and half, umm...what's the word again...a proposition?
[she saunters over to him and quickly wraps him in a tight hug that he has no say in whatsoever. It is happening whether he likes it or not, so he better get used to it.]
It's always so crowded these days! So I thought we could have this conversation just you and me...[she tries and fails to stifle a low sort of laugh.]
It's like when we were little, and you always wanted my undivided attention. Remember? [Oh, she knows he remembers alright. What's the point of being big sister if you can't tease your younger siblings?]
no subject
I remember, I remember! That's because Nee-chan's attention would always wander, otherwise!
[ Really, dragging them along to play superheroes and all that... Tentatively, he reaches out to poke the blanket laid across the table, setting his face as it is just in case whatever's under it starts to move or something like that. ]
What a place to invite somebody to a private conversation, right in the middle of the room...
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[oops she snatches his hand as it starts inching towards the blanket.]
Ah ah ah! It wouldn't be under there if it weren't a surprise! Hands off!
[She breaks the hug but continues holding onto him, slipping behind him and placing a hand over his eyes.]
I'll show it to you, but you can't open your eyes until I say so!
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Alright, alright, my eyes are closed!
[ He has no choice but to trust her, and doesn't entertain the option of peeking through the gaps in her fingers. ]
Do I spin around three times in a circle, now? Do I get to swing around a stick?
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You're so funny. Just stay still for a moment. [After ensuring that Kano isn't peeking, she moves around him to swipe the blanket off of the Goods™.
The goods in question being...a pair of black slacks and a neat, white button-down t-shirt. A summer uniform - beside it is a small stack of thin paperback books.]
Ah...You can open your eyes now...! [And when he does, Ayano is standing now a bit awkwardly next to the table with a nervous smile on her face. Really, she has no idea how he's going to react.]
no subject
Nee-chan...
[ He turns slowly, steps forward, and places both hands on her shoulders. ]
Are you going to be okay? If you're worried about college, maybe you should get that guy to help you.
[ Neat clothes? Books?? Clearly they're for her, and not him. Sorry, he can't help her with studying. ]
no subject
She shakes her head, waving her arms about in front of her.]
Oh! Oh, no, it's not for me! I'm not, um, that's not it! See... [Her eyes scan all around the room before they can allow themselves to settle on Shuuya's face. When she speaks up again, her voice is unsure and meek.]
These could be for you. I mean, if you wanted...
[Wavering, wavering, you're wavering, Ayano!! Step up your game, Nee-chan!!!]
Ah! [She raises a finger, trying to reclaim some authority over the situation.][lol] I'm...grateful for the experiences I've had, and...I thought, maybe, if you wanted, this might be an experience you might want to have, too.
[School.]
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Eh... Is there a point to it, playing pretend so late in life? Wearing new clothes, laying around reading books, I can already do that, can't I?
[ Not to make it seem as if he's refusing all of Ayano's efforts, though, he picks up the shirt and holds it up to his chest, letting it unfold and smoothing it down. ]
...Did you like school, Nee-chan?
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It wouldn't be pretend! You don't have to change anything about yourself, Shuuya. School is...it's own experience. It's not just clothes and books...It's an intangible. You're not any lesser for not going, but...Maybe I'd be a bad sister if I didn't try to open you up to things that might be good for you.
...Of course, the choice is up to you! Ahaha, I'm not forcing you to do anything! I promise, I promise!
School, ah, Nee-chan wasn't very good at it, but you're naturally smart! Plus, even if I wasn't the best at school, it gave me a lot of memories that I still treasure. It helped me become an adult! [finger point!!]
You and Tsubomi and Kousuke...You're all already so responsible and mature, but when you get older...It's a deep wish of mine that you all be as prepared as possible. Things make sense now, living in the sleepy summertime daydream of our youth, but...The things that we think we know can only get us so far. Careers, relationships, family...I want my siblings to get the most they can out of life.
[She briefly pats Shuuya's cheek and smiles, channeling the way her Mother used to smile at her at night in bed.]
You don't need to be hiding away from the world. Whether it be here, at home, or in the Mekakushi Dan.
no subject
Seto had been supporting them with his part time jobs, relationships ...he's not going to say anything about this... but family is something he already has and doesn't keep any more of, even though it'd become a lot more fun with each new person they'd pulled into their little Dan. All these reasons Ayano gives, the only one that's convincing is the one she swears isn't one- that the choice is his, and what he gets out of that is that going to school would make her happy, and that's the only reason he needs.
If he just thinks of it as a mission, then... ]
Hai, hai~ Say no more, I understand! You'll need my help convincing Seto and Kido, huh? Ah- I'd get to see Kido in a skirt! She'll hate that! I'll do my best!
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dear god]
Ah...uh, Shuuya, I'm glad that you're on board, but...I hope it isn't entirely based on embarassing Tsubomi. There's definitely better reasons than that! And you shouldn't be trying to do that in the first place! [A stern, reluctant half-smile follows.]
...The uniform might be a tough sell, though. You're right about that, ahah...
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That'd be a shame. ]
...it'll be fine. If Nee-chan asks, I'm sure Kido would give it a try. If that doesn't work out, Dad can always teach us, can't he?