This is the Start to the Big Push

What was my length goal for this volume? Sixty-thousand words? I’m so close already! I'm forty-thousand! I’ve been able to include everything I hoped so far as well—all the band members introduced, established she’s the vocalist, and the possible love interest.

This outline has worked magic, it’s like I already know what to write! I didn’t know writing required so little creative thought and thinking! Everyone should streamline this process!

I still have about a month for editing and revising before the deadline for the first round of judging, we got this!

“Mako~! Kaoru-chan is here for you!” My mother’s voice called from across the apartment.

I moved my cursor to the bottom of my screen to pop-up the taskbar.

5:30 PM

She said six… She said six… I should still have thirty more minutes of freedom. This is unfair…
I was going to get up and greet Akimoto at the door but before I could even stand she burst into my room.

She strode right past me, her destination—my bed.

“Ahhh~ It’s great to be back.”

She sprawled herself out on it still in her uniform.

“No, it’s not.”

“The nerdy-vibe, the books, the exciting idea of a long weekend of grinding.”

“It’s not exciting.”

“Getting away from my noisy family and just relaxing in the calm Kiyotaka residence.”

“You’re the noisy one. You’re the one that makes your house noisy.”

“Where’s Sayuri-chan?”

“Gone, forever.”

“I can’t wait to see her!”

I’m not even here, am I?

With a sigh I sat back in front of my laptop. I’m doing everything in my power to make this experience the best I can for myself. Comfy long-sleeve shirt, pajama pants, just showered, cup of hot-tea. All of this should easily outweigh Akimoto.

In a sudden rush of movement she plopped herself down right next to me and leaned her head close to my shoulder.

Too close!

“What part are you on?”

“I— I’m past the scene where Suzuki-san and the band are asked to perform at a small venue and they have to actually start preparing some songs.”

Akimoto wore a confused expression.

“I don’t remember this… I remember when she was introduced to the band and the main love interest. Is that close to this scene?”

“No,” I said extremely bluntly. “Akimoto-san, I’ve been wondering, how long has it been since you’ve done anything writing related?”

“Ohhh— I see what this is… Yes I’ve been writing. I’ve been working on the club-piece? Remember? That stupid thing all members have to do? Sorry I can’t work on our novel because you assigned me homework.”

“It’s not homework! It’s an exercise to sharpen the club-members' writing! A-anyway, that’s still a good thing. How’s that coming along?”

“It’s done.”

“Seriously!?”

“Mhm. Finished it last night in fact.”

Akimoto put her fists on her hips and lifted up her chin.

“T-that’s great! Can I see it?”

My question prompted a decently long silence between us. Was there an issue…?

“Are you lying…? Is it not complete?” I lowered my eyebrows.

“No-no-no! It is! I uh… I’d rather have Sayuri-chan check over it first…”

“You know I’ll have to see it eventually because I am the club-president.”

Akimoto’s gaze drifted everywhere but me.

“I knoww— But maybe you don’t have to?”

“Is there an issue with me reading it, Akimoto-san?”

“NO!”

“...”

“I mean, no, not at all.”

“Then let me read it.”

“No!”

We’ve come to a stalemate it seems. Or is it a negative-feedback loop? We’ve come to something, that’s for sure. Whatever we’ve come to, it’s painfully obvious it’s because she wrote about something she’s not comfortable sharing…

Wait.

Is it a weird Yaoi fanfic!? Akimoto! You should know we can’t publish stuff like this to the school! Aren’t you worried about going to class and everyone thinking, “Ohh there’s the girl that wrote smut for the public school journal… She’s a p-addict.” You’re not worried!?

“F-fine,” I mustered out. “Have my sister check it first then you gotta show me, okay?”

“...Yeah.”

She opened up and powered on her own laptop, to be expected, it was one from twenty-twenty four. Beautiful, sleek, quiet, clean.

Those aren’t my words by the way, it's just what the advertisement for it said.

It’s really no matter though, the equipment doesn’t make the writer, the ideas do. Wow. Wait, that's incredible! I should get that quote on TV or something! I could become famous by sounding like a famous inspirational writer without actually being one.

We wrote in silence for a few minutes until my bedroom door once again slammed open. It sent a few papers resting on my small table flying and rustled Akimoto and I’s hair.

“Ah Mako-chan, can I use your PC? Oh I can? Thanks.”

Sayuri strode past us—I’m not sure if she’s aware Akimoto’s here… She’s in such a rush today, maybe she has a tournament coming up? She usually makes a comment about how creepy I am or something… Has my sweet younger sister lost the meaning of our loving playful sibling relationship!? Sayuri! Are you alright!?

“Hey Sayuri.” I angle my head towards her. “What’s going on?”

“Can’t talk. Big game.”

Phew… I’m glad.

“Big game for what?” Akimoto asked.

No response came from Sayuri as she’d already equipped my headset.

The blonde invader and I both watched on as Sayuri opened up a chat-room app and joined a room called Asia RMR Group A — Team 1.

Huh… Seems official. No clue what that means but good for her, that’s my cute little sister… Making it to the big-league or whatever that is.

“Hey, Kiyotaka-kun.”

“Hm?”

“Stop drooling.”

“What?”

“You’re drooling. You’re staring at your sister drooling.”

Akimoto’s eyebrows dropped and she folded her arms, which propped up her chest a bit.

“You’re insane, I’m not doing anything like that. I love my sister but that's just weird…”

I wiped the drool from the corners of my mouth.