"Alright, Usagi, we're here. This store is where I buy my gear from. Maybe we can find something that your brother needs and take it from there, okay?" said Haruko.
"Yes, it's a great start because he's not really into anything else that I can think of," replied Usagi as they both entered the store.
"When I'm thinking about an anniversary, I'm thinking about something great, like a basketball hoop. What do you think?" asked Haruko.
"Well, that would be great, however, it's really expensive," replied Usagi.
"Well, that's true. Then how about a new pair of basketball shoes? It wouldn't hurt to have an extra pair," said Haruko.
"That's a good idea, but you know my brother. He'd probably say something like, 'Why did you waste your allowance on something as unnecessary as that? Your allowance is only for you,'" said Usagi, mimicking her brother's voice.
"Um, you may be right. I can totally imagine him saying that," said Haruko as she laughed.
"Alright, I think I've got some things in mind that are within budget. How about you get him a gym bag, an arm sleeve, a towel, a new basketball, and a training jersey top? The combined cost of these items isn't too expensive," said Haruko.
"You're right, I think these will be perfect. Plus, his basketball is kind of worn out now, so I'd say this is great," said Usagi.
"I also have something in mind for the training gear, so let's get a marker for that, okay?" said Haruko.
As both Usagi and Haruko were heading to cash out the anniversary gifts for Tetsuo, Usagi bumped into a tall figure standing at 193 centimeters, almost falling to the ground.
"Whoa, little miss, I caught you just in time, so you're good," said the tall guy.
"Yes, thank you so much for that," said Usagi.
"Wait, you are... Kogure Kobayashi from Yokonan High?" asked Haruko, surprised.
"Yes, that's me. But how do you know that?" asked Kogure.
"I was at the practice match that you played against Toshigawa," replied Haruko.
"I remember now. You were that girl who was on the bench cheering for Tetsuo, right?" asked Kogure.
"Yes, that was me."
"I see. Give Tetsuo this message for me the next time you see him. Tell him that I look forward to playing against him soon, however, I will not lose," said Kogure.
"I'll ensure that I tell him that. Let's go, Usagi," said Haruko as they both walked off.
"Wait, did she just say Usagi as in Usagi Kawaguchi?" said Kogure to himself, shocked. "She does resemble her a lot too, so she must be..."
"Hey, Kogure, what were you talking about with those girls?" asked Aoi.
"Well, funny story. That smaller one is actually Tetsuo's little sister. We truly live in such a small world," said Kogure.
"What did you say? That she's...?" said Aoi, speechless.
"It's getting really dark. You shouldn't have walked me home," said Usagi.
"That's okay. I don't live that far away from this neighborhood, plus I have to ensure that you get home safely," replied Haruko.
"I see, thank you so much. You're really kind," mumbled Usagi as she blushed.
"We are here. This is where I live," said Usagi as she took out her key.
"So this is where Tetsuo lives. It's a pretty decent place," said Haruko to herself.
As soon as Usagi opened the door to the apartment, she called out, "I'm home, big brother!"
Tetsuo, who heard his sister's voice, walked out into the opening with only a towel wrapped around him and another drying his hair.
"Welcome back, Usagi. I prepared dinner today so you can relax, okay?" said Tetsuo.
"That's nice of you, thanks, bro," said Usagi.
"Ahh!!" screamed Haruko as she blushed red and covered her face. "He's not wearing anything, and his body... it's a lot more refined than I thought," said Haruko as she peeked through her fingers.
"I didn't know that you had a guest over. You can come on inside if you like," said Tetsuo as he went to put on his clothes.
"I'm so sorry about that, Haruko. Since it's just the two of us living together, he sort of gets comfortable walking out of the shower with only his towel," said Usagi.
"And you're not bothered by that?" asked Haruko.
"I mean, it's not an issue for me, so I don't mind. And did you say that you guys live alone? What about your parents?" asked Haruko curiously.
"Well... I lost both my parents to a fire when I was just a little girl. I hardly remember their faces, and I have no recollection of the memories I had with them," said Usagi sadly.
"Oh, I didn't know. I apologize," said Haruko.
"That's okay. I'm doing just fine now because I have Tetsuo here with me, so I'm happy. He takes care of everything for me—he buys all my necessities, pays all the bills, and ensures that I'm comfortable. He may sometimes make me upset because he hardly shares how he feels, but I know that he loves and cares for me from the bottom of his heart," said Usagi.
"You really have a great big brother, Usagi."
"Yes, the best," replied Usagi as she smiled.
"Alright, I'm done. Are you staying for dinner, Haruko?" asked Tetsuo.
"Um, if it's not a bother to you, then sure."
"Here, I made miso soup and also some curry on rice. I added carrots and cabbages to it as well for a balanced meal. And also some sliced apples on the side," said Tetsuo as he handed both Usagi and Haruko their share.
"This looks like a really simple meal, but it's really cute," said Haruko to herself as she tasted the curry.
"Wow, this is really good! My taste buds are on cloud nine," said Haruko, blushing, surprised at Tetsuo's cooking skills.
"Your cooking is the best, big brother. It makes me want to retire from the kitchen," said Usagi, her cheeks full of food.
"No talking while you're eating, Usagi," said Tetsuo.
"Okay!! Oh, I almost forgot. I bought these for you," said Usagi as she reached for a shopping bag and gave it to Tetsuo.
Tetsuo looked into the bag and saw the arm sleeve, gym bag, a pump, basketball, and towel. He then walked over to Usagi and tapped her on the forehead.
"I told you not to spend your allowance money on me. It was for anything that you want or may need in an emergency," said Tetsuo.
"But today is our two-year anniversary since we moved here, so I wanted to surprise you with something special," said Usagi with teardrops in her eyes.
"She really put a lot of thought into getting you a gift for the anniversary, and it's not like you gave her much to work with, so that's the only thing she could think of," said Haruko.
Tetsuo then opened the shopping bag and looked at the items that Usagi bought for him. After looking through them, his eyes were drawn to the words Usagi had written on the training jersey: "Do your best with basketball, big brother. I love you so much."
Tetsuo, moved by the message, said, "Thank you," and embraced Usagi with a hug.
"Big brother?" said Usagi, shocked by her brother's hug. "That's the first time in a long time since you've hugged me. I'm so happy," said Usagi as she started crying tears of joy.