While I was playing in the children’s pool with Umi, Mitsuki came over pulling Takatsuka-san by the arm.

"Reo said she’ll teach me how to swim!"

Mitsuki is super excited.

Mitsuki can handle pretty much any sport but swimming is the one thing she struggles with.

It seems like she can’t breathe properly in freestyle.

"By the way, can you swim?"

"I can somewhat. I went to a swimming school when I was about Mitsuki’s age."

"That’s your only sports background right big bro!"

"S-shut up..."

"You didn’t keep going?"

"I wanted to since I enjoyed it but..."

When did it start?

When I went to the pool wearing men’s swimwear people of the same gender would start looking away awkwardly...

Just like Mitsuki finds it creepy that I have a girl’s face on a guy’s body, maybe boys going through puberty also found me unsettling.

That’s why I still wear a rash guard now.

"Well there were circumstances..."

"I see. I can more or less imagine so I won’t dig into it."

"Reo hurry up, let's swim. Make me a flying fish. There’s this guy Kirisaki who’s a bit better than me at swimming and he’s getting cocky so I want to put him in his place."

"Alright alright. Let’s head to that pool over there."

"Big bro here take this."

Mitsuki tosses me the float she was holding.

Next to the children’s pool meant for playing there’s also a proper 25-meter pool like the ones at school.

Mitsuki and Takatsuka-san head over there.

"Okay Umi you can use this float."

Teaching Umi how to swim is my job.

Though she’s still small so if she can just get over her fear of putting her face in the water that’s enough for now.

Umi tends to want to copy her older sister Mitsuki and if she can’t she gets upset so I hold both her arms and have her kick to give her a sense of swimming.

Umi kicking seriously keeps glancing toward where Mitsuki is.

‘Maybe it would’ve been better if Takatsuka-san taught her?’

I end up thinking a bit negatively.

"Sorry. When you get a bit older we’ll have Takatsuka-san teach you okay?"

I already know Takatsuka-san is good at taking care of others and I do trust her to some extent with my sisters.

But since Umi is still in preschool there are more things to watch out for compared to Mitsuki so I felt like it would be too much of a burden for her.

"No it’s okay. Being with big bro is fun too."

Holding my hand while floating in the ring Umi says that.

"R-really?"

"Yeah. I like the Prince but I like being with big bro too."

What an angel this kid is.

Feeling happy I keep playing in the water with Umi.

Even just floating with the ring seems to make her happy and at this rate it feels like she’ll overcome her fear of going underwater soon.

"Hey big bro let me join too."

Mitsuki jumps into the children’s pool with a splash.

"You’re done practicing freestyle already?"

"Just taking a break."

"Your little sister has good sense. She picks things up quickly."

With a slightly satisfied look Takatsuka-san also steps into the children’s pool.

Since she’s tall it looks like a giant dipping their legs into a lake.

"Umi did you manage to learn how to swim even a little?"

"Hey, hey, it’s still too early for Umi to swim."

Understanding she’s being teased by her older sister, Umi puffs her cheeks so I have to step in before she gets upset.

"Well she was just floating with the ring so that’s about it."

"Mitsuki, when you were her age you were barely able to go underwater. Actually you even peed by the poolside didn’t you?"

"I-I didn’t do that!"

"No you did. Unlike you Umi properly tells me when she needs to go to the bathroom."

She points toward the restroom to let me know so it’s helpful.

"I-I can say it too when I need to go!"

"Well you’re in fifth grade now so of course you can..."

"Reo big bro is being mean to me."

"Can’t be helped. I’ll have a word with him later."

Mitsuki hugs Takatsuka-san.

After being taught how to swim, her trust in Takatsuka-san seems even stronger.

Just then an elderly couple passes by the poolside nearby.

"Oh my how nice all the siblings get along so well."

The old lady says while looking at us.

It seems like we looked like siblings happily playing together.

"We got mistaken for siblings."

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I look at Takatsuka-san.

Knowing her I thought she might say something like we’re not siblings we’re a couple but—

She was unexpectedly blushing.

"...W-what do you mean?"

Takatsuka-san shows rare fluster.

But she doesn’t look displeased at all.

If anything she seems happy.

"Reo they said we’re siblings!"

Mitsuki happily hugs Takatsuka-san.

Takatsuka-san once said she enjoys being an only child.

I still can’t fully tell what she really feels but maybe somewhere inside she does feel lonely being an only child.