~10 years later~

"Koyuki, hurry up. At this rate we won't make it by nightfall."

"Easy for you to say. I'm the one about to snap my back in half."

He waddled, more or less crushed under the weight of the cardboard boxes he carried in his arms.

I craned my neck. "Need a hand?"

"I needed a hand about a block ago. No, now I need a chiropractor."

"Stop exaggerating. If you didn't want to haul boxes you should've had them delivered to the shop itself."

"You ordered them, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. It is my fault." I grinned. "Sorry?"

He lowered the boxes onto the ground. With an overemphasized breath, he straightened his posture, settling his palms at his hips and stretching for good measure. We'd finally arrived. "At least sound apologetic."

"My deepest apologies?"

"Too robotic."

"I love you?"

"Passable."

Although we'd been here multiple times since we bought the place, assorting the fine details and purchasing furniture among other things, as I gazed up at it now, my heart couldn't have been warmer. It'd been a miscommunication on my end when I ordered these belongings, so we were left no choice but to spend the better half of this afternoon and evening going to and fro the store, loading boxes into our car and doing the grunt work of bringing it here ourselves. I guess it'd be apt to say Koyuki had been doing the heavy lifting while I spurred him on from the sidelines.

"Hey, blondie. Bake me something. I'm hungry."

The brusque command originated from my left. Sota's eyebrows sloped inward in an unfriendly scowl. Hands in his pockets, earbuds jammed into his ears—he was far from an amicable sight. He'd haphazardly worn his Soetsu High School uniform; red tie dangling loosely around his neck. His white dress shirt was hardly buttoned beneath his blazer, revealing the curse words sprawled across the rock t-shirt he'd togged on underneath.

I urged him to give Koyuki a hand today but throughout the journey there and back, he did nothing of the sort—merely blasted music and tuned out the world. Finally, he'd spoken out, but unsurprisingly, it wasn't to make small talk.

Koyuki's forced smile twitched. "We don't have desserts or a completed kitchen to bake in yet."

"Tch. You're useless."

"Sota!" I reprimanded.

"What's your problem, ugly? Stay out of it."

It took every fibre of my being to resist clobbering him—not now, in broad daylights, with innumerable passersby to serve as witnesses. 

He'd acquired coarser vocabulary and a rebellious attitude over the years and it'd gotten worse since he entered high school. He was taller and stronger than me now, too, as much as I hated to admit it.

"What a waste of time. I tagged along 'cause I thought you'd feed me. Give me back my hours of labour, you stupid couple."

"You didn't lift a single box," I remarked.

"Why would I work unless I'm given incentive?" He extended his palm. "Fork over your wallet. I'll buy something from the convenience store over there."

I hadn't seen him in a while but he really was testing my patience. Had my absence since I moved out manifested in this defiant attitude? Who gave him this smart lip?

"I'll bake you something after we're done here," I said regardless. "Help out."

He reluctantly returned his hand to his dress pants. "Your desserts, huh? Well, they're better than dog shit at most."

'At most'?

"I'm a bona fide pastry chef!"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't go burning down your bakery the first day you're in business. It'll reflect badly on me."

"Burn? For what reason do you think I spent years studying, practicing, and training under notable names in various countries? I've stopped doing that! Ages ago! I'm a full-fledged professional!"

He rolled his eyes.

That was it.

Oh, that was the final straw.

Koyuki's arms looped through mine before I could pounce and rearrange my younger brother's irritatingly identical face.

"Just one punch—"

"Calm down," he said.

Sota didn't bother disguising his disinterested yawn.

No matter how many years passed, he drove me up the wall. It should've been a talent, seeing as how effortless he made it out to be. Or was I that easy to spite?

"You've gotten real cheeky since we last saw each other," Koyuki said. He maintained a vice grip, as my vexation was still at its peak and I could make no promises if released. "Has high school sucked all the joy out of you?"

"School's terrible wherever," he replied. "I can't wait to graduate and move out. Which reminds me, Sis. I know you're living a lovey-dovey married life, but don't forget to visit more often."

"Why? You miss me?"

"As if. Mom's been up my ass more than ever. That's all."

I was an idiot for thinking he'd be sincere. Poor Mom. She had to deal with this phase of his all by herself. "It's 'cause she loves you, you impertinent brat." I wrung my arm around his neck, grinning.  "Admit you miss me."

"Get off your high horse," he remarked. "I'm not a baby anymore. And I don't have whatever sister complex you're convinced I do—"

"You sure about that?" Koyuki interposed. "You're practically on the phone with her every day, and stop by routinely."

This time, he couldn't masquerade his blush. "She's dumb so unless I call, she'll forget to and have Mom worry. And she'll injure herself without warning so it makes sense I occasionally confirm she's alive and kicking. Personally, it's a bother. An inconvenience. End of discussion."

I tittered. He was a horrible liar.

"I'm around to prevent that," Koyuki said, enclosing his arm around my waist. "You can rely on me more."

"Whatever. I still think Sis would've been better off boning Okito."

Koyuki keeled over.

I gaped at him, bright red. "S—Sota!"

"Who else was there? Another three guys? Even Miko and her had better chemistry, granted she's married now herself. You won her heart by pure chance, blondie. All I'm saying."

"There was no chance involved!" I enunciated. "I loved him then and I love him now and I'll love him forever and ever! We're soulmates!"

"This girl thinks soulmates actually exist..."

"They do! And I wouldn't want anyone else baking me treats for the rest of my life!"

"So it all came down to the fact that he's a great baker?" Sota sighed, and sympathetically glanced at him. "What about this shallow girl did you fall for?"

After much back and forth, and chastising, he departed with a curt, "I can't deal with this anymore, I'll wait in the car."

"What—what a brat...!" I fumed, balling my fists. "He was impudent enough as a child and now—now this?"

"Inability to read social cues. Misleading or suggestive language. Gluttonous behaviour and spontaneity. He's the splitting image of you."

"Not true!" I cried, appalled Koyuki could ever say that. Then, I remembered who exactly he was dealing with, and pathetically blushed. "I've—I've matured."

He dropped a soft kiss on my temple. "Whatever you say."

Willing my fluttering heart to cease, he intertwined our fingers, and we gazed up at the bakery once more. The sign bearing our shop's name, Welcome to Heaven, stared back.

"Yours and Etsuya's promise can finally take its roots. We have to make it a success. For him, too."

"I'm sure he's overjoyed by the fact we made it this far. But, you've got it wrong. It's our promise too, remember?"

It'd taken longer than I liked to admit. Bit by bit, over the years, I'd sprung leaps and baby steps alike. Now, with the person I loved, we would do what we loved together for as long as time permitted.

"We have to inform the others we'll be in business soon," I cheered. "I'll call up Chiaki and Hayate! You get Nori. We may have to wait for Miko and Hajime to visit the city. Okito's probably buried in his doctor work but we can drag him in with Shiori. Oh and Ryoma, Eru and Kohmi need to drop by—"

"Slow down," he said. "We'll have everyone visit eventually—welcome them to our dessert heaven."

I laughed.

I couldn't wait.

—FIN (ALT.)—