The cafeteria buzzed with chatter.
Carrying her tray, Takanashi Rokka found an empty spot and quickly waved over the other three.
After checking the chair, Minamoto Senya sat down and, as always, immediately pulled out a pack of tissues to carefully wipe the tabletop—left to right, back and forth, not missing a spot.
The others were already used to his quirks and didn't bat an eye.
"Eriri, your tempura shrimp looks really good. Can I trade you one for my croquette?"
"Of course! Go ahead!"
Ever since her sister's injury, Rokka had begun to notice Senya's true nature—gentle, dependable, and considerate. The awkwardness she once felt toward him had melted away, and naturally, she started spending more time with him at school as well.
And thanks to her being known as Senya's foster sister, she was warmly welcomed by others too. Yukinoshita Yukino and Sawamura Eriri both looked after her, and before long, she had become good friends with them.
"My sister has a preliminary match for her club this Saturday afternoon," Rokka said, biting into the tempura shrimp she'd traded for. It had clearly been fried earlier and left sitting for a while, so it wasn't very crisp. She couldn't help but think that it didn't even compare to the tempura Senya had made at home before. Unfortunately, whenever their mom or her sister was around, they never let him cook. Such a waste!
"Match?" Eriri and Yukino both tilted their heads, curious. They only knew that Rokka had an older sister named Takanashi Toka, who was in middle school. Beyond that, they hadn't heard much.
Senya explained, "Toka-nee is in the gymnastics club. There's a prefectural competition coming up, so today their club is holding a public selection match to decide who gets to represent the school."
Because he'd spent so many days escorting her to and from school, he'd learned bits and pieces about her along the way.
When Toka was little, she'd seen gymnasts on TV, their graceful figures shining under the spotlight, moving like swans across the stage. It had mesmerized her. That elegance, that confidence—it was what she aspired to.
Gymnastics, broadly speaking, came in three categories: artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and trampoline.
Trampoline was nicknamed "ballet in the air," emphasizing aerial technique and athleticism.Artistic gymnastics leaned toward strength and coordination—thrilling, even dangerous at times—with events like the uneven bars, balance beam, and rings.Rhythmic gymnastics blended music, gymnastics, and dance into a single performance, with four apparatus—hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon. Its artistry and rhythm made it captivating even to outsiders who knew nothing about the sport.
And Toka's dream was to become a professional rhythmic gymnast. Ever since childhood, she'd been chasing that goal with unwavering determination.
"In that case… let's all go Saturday," Senya said after a moment's thought. He had no plans that day anyway, and honestly, he was curious to see Toka perform. After all, she always stretched and practiced splits in the living room at home. But what would she look like in an actual performance?
"Great! It's a promise, then!"
Rokka beamed. His answer had been just what she was hoping for—this was exactly why she'd brought it up in the first place.
What she hadn't expected was that Eriri suddenly perked up, clearly intrigued.
"Wait, wait, Rokka's sister has a match? I'm free Saturday too! Can I come cheer her on?"
Of course she wanted to support, but the truth was, she was more excited about spending time with Senya. Not to mention, the new season of Magical Girl Momo-chan had just come out, and she was itching to discuss the production quality with him.
"Yukino, you're not in cram school lately, right? You should come too!"
Yukino didn't answer immediately. Instead, she turned toward Senya.
"Come on," he said casually.
She nodded. "I see. Then I'll join as well."
"Yes!"
Rokka clapped her hands together. She wasn't overthinking it like Senya was—she was just genuinely happy her friends wanted to support her sister.
Before long, Saturday arrived.
Everyone met near the middle school gates. To their surprise, Yukino's older sister, Yukinoshita Haruno, had tagged along too, her mood unusually bright compared to Yukino's obvious headache.
"Ah-loha~!" she greeted cheerfully.
"Sorry," Yukino muttered as she leaned closer to Senya. "My sister heard about it and insisted on coming along."
Toka noticed immediately how close Yukino stood to her foster brother and sighed inwardly. As expected, Senya's popularity with girls was… unusual.
Introductions were made, polite words exchanged, and then Toka excused herself to check in with her club. The others filed into the gymnasium to take their seats.
At a little past two in the afternoon, the selection meet began.
Unlike official competitions, this was simple. Nine contestants would each perform a required set of moves, one after another. The coach would score them, and the top three would represent the school.
From across the gym, Rokka spotted her sister in her rhythmic gymnastics uniform. She waved enthusiastically, and Toka, catching sight of her, smiled faintly in return.
Senya relaxed a little. Compared to the other girls, Toka radiated composure. The match hadn't even started, yet her aura alone set her apart.
Toka was scheduled fifth—right in the middle, neither good nor bad.
At first, Haruno watched quietly with her arms folded. But by the second performer, she was already giggling.
Even Senya, an outsider, could tell the first two girls' skills were lacking. By the third, Haruno had lost interest entirely and leaned over to whisper to her sister.
"Say, Yukino, do you know when rhythmic gymnastics was officially recognized as a sport?"
"1961. The first World Championships were held the following year, in Budapest, Hungary," Yukino replied without turning her gaze from the performance.
"…Wow, you actually knew that."
"Please take the competition seriously, sister."
"It's because the competition isn't worth watching that I'm talking to my cute little sister."
"If you're that bored, you can leave."
"Cold as ever. Can't you at least give me some face in public?"
Senya sighed inwardly. Here they go again.
Meanwhile, Rokka, watching the exchange for the first time, grew pale and nervous.
Eriri leaned over to whisper, hand cupped by her mouth: "Don't worry. This is just how the Yukinoshita sisters show affection. You'll get used to it."
Finally, it was Toka's turn.
Haruno straightened up, eyes sharp now.
Unlike her supporters in the audience, who were quietly anxious, Toka herself radiated calm. For her, this was simply a chance to display what she'd practiced countless times before.
She stepped onto the mat, poised at the center. At the coach's call of "Begin," she rose onto her toes and leapt gracefully forward.
—
Senya forgot entirely about cheering. His eyes were glued to her movements, captivated.
Even Haruno's expression softened, admiration shining through.
When Toka finished, the gym filled with scattered applause. Sparse though it was, it meant something. The first four competitors had received none at all.
Senya smiled faintly. He didn't need to see the rest. He was certain her name would be on the final list. Her level was simply on another plane.
"Good thing this is an individual event," Haruno muttered. The implication was clear—if it had been a group event, the others would only drag Toka down.
It might have sounded blunt, but in the end, she wasn't wrong. The remaining four competitors, while clearly having trained, lacked both her natural grace and her polished skill.
When the results were posted, as expected, Toka was among those chosen to represent the school.
Three months later, the family attended the prefectural finals to cheer her on.
Toka exceeded expectations, winning first place in the hoop event and second place in the ball event.
The family crowded around her afterward, smiling under the stadium lights. Someone snapped a photo of that joyful moment—everyone grinning sweetly, their pride and happiness etched into the image.
Back at school, Toka was commended publicly and awarded a cash prize.
That weekend, Senya and Rokka hosted a little celebration at home.
Of course, Yukino and Eriri came. Haruno showed up uninvited again, bringing gifts along with her congratulations.
At first, the two older girls were a bit stiff with each other, but before long they were chatting away like old friends.
The living room was small, yet packed with laughter and warmth.
And Senya thought to himself—just this once, having such a noisy, crowded home… felt really, really good.