The sound of cicadas filled the evening air. Moths fluttered around lit streetlights. A normal scene. Inside one of the houses lining the street, a girl lay on her bed, deep in thought. Staring up at the ceiling, Yui reminisced about the past 3 years. It's almost time for graduation. Thinking about her time over those years, she remembered how Ui had looked after her. Ui. You've done so much for me, and all I've ever done is cause trouble for you. I'm supposed to be the responsible older sister, but I've always acted like a child. She sat up. I need to fix that.

Swinging her legs around, she stood up and left the room. Heading downstairs, she found her sister watching TV. "Ui? Do you have a minute?" Her sister turned to face her.

"Sure." Switching the TV off, she faced Yui. "What is it, Onee-chan?"

Yui headed to the sofa and sat down. "Ui. Do you think I'm a good sister?"

This question surprised the junior. "What do you mean? Of course I do."

"Are you sure?"

"Well... you might not be the most reliable sister, and you do act a little like a child some of the time, but that's fine. I think you're a wonderful sister."

The guitarist looked at her and smiled. "You always say the nicest things, Ui."

"Why do you ask, Onee-chan? What's brought this on?"

Yui then looked at the floor. "Well, I've been thinking a lot." Clenching her fists, she then said, "I don't think I'm a good sister."

This surprised Ui. "Onee-chan, don't say that. It's not true."

"Ui, just listen." Ui fell silent. "I know you think that I'm a good sister and that you're so supportive of me. I really appreciate it, but we have to face facts. I'm not a good sister. I'm the older sibling, but for as long as I can remember, you've always been the responsible one. You basically became Mom. But what have I done? Nothing." Ui was stunned by what she was hearing. "In any family, that's supposed to be reversed. The older sibling is supposed to show maturity. But that hasn't happened with me. Throughout my life, I've always been the same. A childish idiot. That's not good. I never grew up." She fell silent.

"Onee-chan, that childishness is what makes you who you are. It's not as bad as you think. I'm sure there are others out there like you. You shouldn't let this get you down so much. You're my sister, and I love you just the way you are. So what if you never took on the motherly role? I was happy to do it."

Tears began filling Yui's eyes. "How can you say that?"

Ui hugged her sister. "I've already said it. You're my sister, and I love you. Please don't attack yourself like this. It makes me sad." They fell silent for a few moments. Then, Yui wiped her eyes and looked straight at Ui.

"Ui, thank you. I am so lucky to have a sister like you. You almost never have anything bad to say about me."

"I could never say anything bad about you, Onee-chan. In fact..." Ui then looked away.

"What's wrong, Ui?" Yui asked.

"I feel a bit bad myself sometimes. Mom and Dad are practically never here, and I kind of wish they were."

"Yeah. I miss them sometimes too..."

"It's not quite like that, Onee-chan." Ui interrupted. Yui looked at her sister and was surprised to see tears.

"Ui?"

Ui clenched her fists. "Onee-chan, I really enjoyed looking after you. You were never a burden. But when I think about you graduating..." she choked on a sudden sob and clutched her chest, "It kills me knowing that you'll be leaving me. I... I don't want that!" She grabbed Yui's hands. "I want you to stay, Onee-chan. If you leave, I'll be all alone. I don't want to be alone!" Ui began breaking down.

Yui felt tears filling her own eyes. "Ui..." She grabbed the junior and held her tight. "Ui, how long have you been feeling like this?"

"*sob* The past few weeks. I can't stop thinking about it. I know I have Azusa-chan and Jun-chan, but *sob* you're the one I want most, Onee-chan! Please don't leave me!" Ui finally let go. Her cries filled the house. Yui couldn't think of anything to say. She just sat holding her sobbing sister, trying her hardest not to cry herself. This continued for several minutes until Ui's crying began to lessen. "*sniff* I'm sorry, Onee-chan. I didn't mean to get so upset."

Yui tightened her hold on Ui. "It's okay, Ui. It's better to let it out than to keep it bottled away." She pulled Ui up. The junior was a mess. Standing up, Yui grabbed a nearby box of tissues. Sitting down again, she began wiping Ui's face. "Ui, I wish you'd come to me earlier about this." Covering her sister's nose, she said "Blow." Ui blew her nose. Yui wiped her clean, then gathered up the used tissues and went to find a bin. Ui wiped away her residual tears and took a few breathes. When Yui returned, she asked, "Are you feeling better now?"

Ui nodded. "Yes. Quite a bit." She averted her gaze a bit. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier. I thought I would be able to cope with the thought of you not being here anymore, but I guess I just couldn't, huh?"

Yui pulled her into another hug. "Ui, I'll always be here with you. Even when I leave for college, I won't be gone forever. You can always text me. I'll always be in touch, and I will always be thinking of you. Well, maybe not as much as Azu-nyan." she said with a huge smile.

Ui giggled, holding her sister. "That's just like you, Onee-chan. Always thinking of Azusa-chan." They held each other for a moment, then separated. "Thank you, Onee-chan. I feel a lot better now that we've had this talk."

Yui smiled. "If you're happy, then I'm happy. And I promise that I will come home to visit you when I can. Provided I'm not too busy."

"You promise?" Ui asked. Yui held her hand up and stuck out her pinkie.

"Would I ever lie to you?" Ui felt tears starting to form again, but forced them away, then linked her pinkie with her sister's.

"Of course. I was silly to ask." After holding the promise for just a moment, Yui decided to get ready for bed. After she had bathed and dressed, she grabbed a book and read until she started to feel sleep approaching. Settling down, she flicked her lamp off, when a knock rang out.

"Yes?" The door opened and in came Ui, holding a pillow.

"Um, could I sleep with you tonight, Onee-chan? I can't seem to settle." Yui smiled and set her book aside.

"Ui. Do you really need to ask?" she asked, moving aside. Ui closed the door, then hurried to the bed. Climbing in next to her sister, she curled up.

"Thank you, Onee-chan." Yui wrapped her arms around the junior.

"Anytime Ui." It wasn't long before they were asleep.

THE END