Eri and Arisa, close sisters that they were, knew many things about each other. They were aware of each other's interests, each other's dislikes, and could even hold some of the strangest conversations about canned soup imaginable and still feel natural about it. Despite one knowing much less about Japanese culture than the other, a lack of knowledge that could become socially awkward for them in public, the sisters were able to work around the boundaries and find solace in each other's company every time. Eri cared for Arisa's safety and happiness as much as Arisa admired and idolized Eri.

However, in spite of their close bond as siblings, Eri did not know every little thing about her beloved little sister.

"Umm...big sister?" Arisa asked one day, as she walked home from school, having been picked up by Eri.

"Hmm?"

"I have a request!"

"What is it?"

"Before we go home, can we...can we stop at that store over there?" Arisa pointed across the street, at the tiny store placed just adjacent of the two schoolgirls. Eri blinked. It was a fabric store. She stared for just a beat, then looked down at her younger sister again.

"You want to go in there?"

"Y-Yes please!"

"But why? Arisa, have you started sewing recently?"

"No, it's nothing like that, sister. There's...something in there that I want to purchase. If that's alright."

"It's fine if you want to buy something, but I never thought you would find it in a fabric store. What're you buying?"

"I saw it through the store window when I was walking by on the way to school this morning. It was a really pretty ribbon. You don't need to give me any money, sister, I'll be able to afford it myself!"

"You're sure about this? You know you don't get much of an allowance to begin with, Arisa."

"I-I'm sure...!"

"Okay, then, let's go."

The sisters crossed the street, and after some more pleading from Arisa, Eri stood off to the side as her sibling entered the shop alone. She wondered if Arisa would be able to handle herself; she was still confusing words in the Japanese language, even though she'd practiced so much since leaving Russia. She was an innocent girl, but a little scatterbrained. Eri watched her from the outside the shop window.

'A...ribbon?'

Eri observed as her sister placed a ribbon onto the counter. It was quite a fancy-looking piece, red as a ruby and encrusted with tiny diamonds and sparkling glitter. It didn't resemble any sort of ordinary ribbon, and it would probably cost a pretty yen. She saw her sister scrounging around her wallet for whatever cash she could locate. It almost pained Eri to witness it. She couldn't read her sister's motives at all. Arisa had even had the ribbon wrapped inside a box. How surreal, a ribbon in a box with a ribbon on top.

When Arisa left the store, Eri wasn't sure what she should say or what she shouldn't say. She didn't want to confront her sister with an interrogation, asking her loads of questions all at once. That wouldn't be proper, nor would it be kind to the young girl. She may have once believed that curry and ramen were soft drinks, but she wasn't stupid in the slightest. She must have had a reason for purchasing it.

But Eri, school council president and grade-A student that she was, couldn't make heads or tails of it. To spend so much money on an expensive gift was something that you did for someone special, someone you felt for beyond friendship. But no boy would ever wear a ribbon either.

"Arisa, did you really have a good reason for buying that ribbon?"

"Eh? Er, uh, w-well, yes I did..."

"Then that's good."

The next morning...

"Yukiho-chan! Yukiho-chan! Breakfast time!"

Honoka called from the bottom of the stairs, and she was starting to wonder just how much longer her little sister could sleep. Normally it was the elder sibling who could barely wake up around school time, but now the situation had been reversed. Honoka could smell breakfast coming from the kitchen a few doors down behind her. She really wanted to eat, but she wanted Yukiho with her too.

"Yukiho-chan!"

"I'm coming! I was just a little busy, okay? Geez!"

"Trying to suck in your gut all the way again?"

"Watch it!"

Yukiho came charging down the stairs, already wearing her school uniform, as if she intended to skip breakfast all together. Honoka stared long and hard at her sibling.

"Yukiho-chan...you have your hair tied up."

"Yeah? So?"

"W-Where did you get that ribbon?" Honoka slammed into Yukiho, holding her still with an embrace as she examined her sister's new pigtail, particularly the fancy bow that held it all together, "Ooh, its all glittery and red and sparkly! Are those diamonds? Oh my gosh! It's so cute!"

"Thanks...now get off me! Honoka-chan, I thought you learned about personal space when you were a little kid!"

"How did you buy something like this? I thought you spent most of this month's allowance on that girdle already!"

"I didn't buy it!" Yukiho exclaimed. With a vicious thrust, she put some distance between her and Honoka again. Yukiho was wheezing from the exhaustion of trying to lug Honoka around, while the older girl simply stood and watched her sister some more

"Girls! Breakfast!" Their mother called from the kitchen.

"If you didn't buy it, how did you get it?" Honoka asked. "You didn't have this thing before you went out last night...oh! Oh! Oh!"

"What?" Yukiho wanted so badly, so desperately, to not start blushing, but her body went and betrayed her as swiftly as the winter winds.

"Did you get it..." Honoka smirked, "From a boy?"

"Hey!"

"No? From a girl then?"

"What!"

"Hey...Yukiho, is that a hickey on your neck?" Honoka hadn't noticed it before, but there it was, a small, red mark located on the base of her little sister's neck.

"Gah!" Yukiho, apparently not having realized her failure to cover it up beforehand, slapped her hand over the offending evidence. She'd been caught, and she knew it. The color was steadily draining from her face.

"I knew it! You're totally seeing someone!" Honoka cheered.

"I'm...I'm...it's not something I can tell you about right now, okay!"

"Huh?" Honoka stopped cheering.

Yukiho let her head hang. She took a breath so deep her lungs could have popped, before she finally breathed out. "You're right...I am seeing someone, but please, don't ask me any more about it, and don't bring it up with mom. Not yet. I'll tell you eventually, though. I promise."

"Yukiho-chan..."

"Okay, Honoka-chan? That's fine, right?"

Honoka smiled warmly at her little sister. "Of course, silly!" She embraced her again. "I gotcha! Sister's promise!"

Yukiho sighed in relief. She felt like a balloon of fear was deflating inside her chest, and she could feel ease again. She returned the hug, and the two sisters walked, hand in hand, to the kitchen to eat. Honoka took one more glance at the ribbon in Yukiho's hair. It really was quite beautiful. It must have been expensive.

Honoka and Eri ran into each other at the front entrance to the school.

"Good morning, Eri!"

"Good morning, Honoka." Eri nodded. She was glad to see that Honoka had gotten so used to referring to her on even terms, despite the age difference.

"How're you doing? Are you ready for practice today? I can't wait!" Honoka performed a little dance on the steps, twirling and ducking, she was always so pumped full of energy. She was like a puppy who'd drank too much caffeine and eaten too much sugar.

"I've been alright, but I hope that I won't face any trouble with practice today, I had some difficulty sleeping last night." Eri wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, yawning.

"Eh? What happened?"

"I was kept up late by my sister. She was playing loud music in her room all night, and I couldn't get her to stop. It was strange. She'd never done anything like that before."

Honoka shrugged before grinning sheepishly at the familiar understanding she felt for Eri's situation. "Little sisters are kind of confusing sometimes!"

"They are, aren't they?" Eri laughed.