It had been a few weeks since I got my first girlfriend. As an only child, her older sister Kyoko felt like the real sister I'd never had—someone I could rely on, and whose presence was both a little embarrassing and genuinely heartwarming.
Just as I was thinking about taking the next step in my relationship, Kyoko called me over to her room while my girlfriend was out, saying she had something to talk about.
"Please... promise me you'll wear this, okay? Don't get the wrong idea—it's for your health and happiness, after all..."
A slightly meddlesome gift from a kind older sister. But I still hadn't noticed the heat smoldering deep within her eyes.