Episode 83 – Faraway

It is the night after the festival.

On the ground, students who have volunteered are having some kind of event and making a lot of noise. I don’t know if they’re in a band or not, but there are students with guitars performing outdoors. Combined with a campfire in the background, it was a spectacular sight, and many students were taking pictures with their smartphones.

I then headed away from the crowd to the designated spot. It seems that the teachers are in charge of this time, not the student council, and they have already finished their work for the day. Well, I hear that tomorrow they’re going to take the day off to clean up after this after-night festival and sports festival, but I’m not going to be a part of it, so I feel better about it now.

(……Was it really a good thing that I had taken a careless step in this matter?)

I was originally reluctant to get involved in this sports festival and had no intention of getting involved at all, but even though there were some irregularities, I showed a glimpse of my ability. I’m able to cover it up now with the afterglow of the sports festival, but from tomorrow on, rumors about me will be the talk of the town at school.

The mysterious rabbit face showed an overwhelming run as a third-year helper.

For high school students looking for a topic of conversation and stimulation, this time must have left quite an impression. Especially Kisaragi, who is in the track club, said, [I’m going to find that guy and scout him for the track club !].

And even though I had been hiding my true identity, I had been so reckless as to show myself in front of the chairman. He might have noticed my true identity. I was convinced that I had been able to deceive him since he had never contacted me before, but if he checked the school’s directory, my presence would be exposed in an instant. From now on, I will have to be cautious and take this possibility into consideration.

One and a half years to go. The time I have left to attend this school.

(Well, if I get expelled, that’s the end of it.)

If that happens, I’ll take the high school graduation certification exam. The chairman would not be able to intervene in the examination. At any rate, I would like to have at least the title of high school graduate. There’s a big difference in the range of activities with and without it.

Gradually, the light from the campfire faded and it became dark. The people I pass by become sparse, and at last I’m the only one around. In the quiet space, I saw my step sister closing her eyes with her back against the wall.

“……”

“……”

When my step sister heard my footsteps, she opened her eyes and met my eyes. Regardless of that, I approached my step sister’s direction, but……it’s still awkward. Well, it seems my secret identity has been exposed since the relay. It was only natural.

“You’re late.”

“I think you’re too early, Nee san.”

“S-shut up.”

It seems that she came to this place right after the party started. Normally, I feel like she’ll come here after seeing the campfire even at first glance, but apparently she’s not interested in that sort of thing. Or maybe she just wanted to talk to me as soon as possible? Well, I don’t think so.

“…..You’ve done a lot of unbelievable things.”

“……That rabbit person was amazing.”

“I already know !”

Saying that, my step sister yelled at me. As expected, it seems that I was found out. She crossed her arms and let out a sigh.

“Well, I have a lot of things I want to ask, but for now it’s fine.”

“Ah, it’s okay.”

“I’ll just have to squeeze it out when we get home.”

Apparently, she won’t let me go. But it seemed that she had no intention to question me right now, and her shoulders were somehow relaxed. No, it looks like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders.

Then she walked over and stood next to me, and began to look at the crowd of students making a lot of noise over there. As if to imitate that, I stare at the flames that created a somewhat mystical atmosphere.

“How was the sports festival?”

“What do you mean how?”

“I mean, did you have fun?”

“…….”

“Apparently, you didn’t have a good time.”

“Well, yeah.”

“You weren’t aggressive at all except at the end.”

It seems that my step sister knows all about this. I was really serious at the end of this sports festival, but there wasn’t a moment when I thought it was fun until that moment when it was all over. It was exhilarating to give it my all, but it was only for a moment. I can’t say I enjoyed it.

“Well, since we’re here, let’s take some pictures.”

“Huh?”

“Look, with the campfire in the background.”

The next thing I know, my step sister grabs me by the shoulders and spins me around 180 degrees. Then she hugged me and pointed the internal camera of her phone at me.

Snap !

The dry sound of the shutter of her phone echoed in the quiet darkness. Or rather, it was too sudden, so I was reflected in the picture with a strange face. I wanted to ask her to delete or reshoot it if possible, but that might be troublesome, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.

“Come to think of it, I had something to say to you.”

“To me?”

“Yeah, a lot of things. But looking at your face, I felt like I was being ridiculous, so I’m going to condense it down to a few words.”

I was prepared for her to finally get mad at me about what I had just said, but she didn’t seem to have that intention and seemed to have something to say to me. It seems that the contents can be summed up in one word, but what is it?

“……you.”

“Hm?”

“Thank you !”

She shouted some kind of thanks.

“Um….for what?”

“……Think it yourself.”

In other words, I was to interpret it for her own convenience. I remember that she said “various things”. In other words, I guess that’s what she meant.

I’ve been thinking about the time I met my step sister, the time she cared about me and talked to me over and over again, the time she was sick and weak, the time she was determined to become student council president,……going around and around, I catch a glimpse of the fragments that can be called memories.

(We were both clumsy, apparently.)

We who had lost something important. We were hungry for family love. We who were confined to our own world. And we were never good at communicating our feelings.

Come to think of it, Nanase once told me. She said that my step sister and I were similar. Maybe that’s what she meant.

It’s not about appearance, gestures, or habits. It was that deep down in our hearts, in the feelings we held for each other, my step sister and I were somehow the same.

“Speaking of which, about the sports festival.”

“?”

“It wasn’t boring.”

“……I see.”

I said that, and she put away her phone and closed her eyes as if she was relieved. I am sure my step sister remembers them too. That’s why I’m stuck in words and feelings. She really is a very clumsy person.

I guess I have to move on a little bit, too.

“So, what are you going to do now?

“Nothing, I’m just going to follow the teacher’s instructions and go home for the day.”

“I see.”

“……Do you want to go home together?”

“……,It’s okay sometimes, isn’t it?”

“Be more honest”

“You too.”

We were like siblings, talking to each other and looking in the same direction. The band had just started to play a chorus around the campfire. There was more cheering and applause than ever before, and to be honest, I couldn’t hear the music very well. But my body is somewhat flustered, as if I’m floating on heat.

(Family……siblings, huh)

The first time I saw Yukihana, I felt a sense of disgust and wariness. At that time, I was wary of Yukihana, and I assumed that I can’t stand her because of her sisterly attributes. But maybe the essence of it was different.

Maybe I was jealous of Yukihana and her brother……

(No, there’s no way)

I shook my head in my mind at what I was thinking. That’s not possible. It shouldn’t be possible for someone like me, someone who comes from a family that has no family love, to think such a thing.

But…..now, it’s okay.

“Oh yeah, Nee san.”

“What?”

“Thanks for the meal.”

“……You’re welcome.”

The bento that she had given me. It was wonderful, with much thought put into the passage of time, nutritional balance, and so on. And it was so delicious. I’m sure she spent quite a bit of time thinking about it. And she made it with the desire to cut herself in half. For that thought, I would like to express my honest respect and gratitude.

I took this opportunity to tell her a lot of things. I’d like to have a conversation with her, as if we were having a conversation between siblings, something we haven’t been able to do properly up until now.

“And good work, for being a student council president.”

“….Thanks.”

“Also……congratulations on becoming student council president.”

“Thanks…..that’s too late ! I mean, surely why didn’t you say that before !”

“I forgot.”

“I’m getting kind of pissed off at you after all this time.”

“Don’t be mad, I’ll cook dinner for you tonight.”

“……I expect it to be moderate.”

And so the after party passed. Neither my sister nor my class won the championship. Normally, we would have been disappointed together. At least, my classmates were.

But instead of being disappointed, the two of us spent a warm moment together. As siblings who had always crossed paths. As a new family.

Thinking of all the new memories we would surely make in the future, I felt my cheeks somewhat relax.

But reality was not so easy. At the very least, I was sure that my actions were causing movement in various directions.

For example, the class president.

“That person, I want to talk to him once. Then scout him for the track and field club !”

She is eager to draw him into her ranks and will try to move as soon as possible after the weekend. The first step is to gather information. The third year doesn’t have much time, but there is no doubt that there is still time before graduation. That is why she wants him to become a member of the club and run with her. Such a thought was growing inside her.

“Somehow, other clubs seem to have their eyes on him……”

Contest. Such words were in her mind. She must start acting as soon as possible. She was driven by such a sense of urgency.

For example, the girl who used to be her partner.

“I’ve only known one person who could run such a beautiful turnaround. But no way……”

She was surprised and puzzled. But her feelings and memories, all of them, came together like puzzle pieces and fit into one place. And then she came to one undeniable fact.

“What was that? No, what do you mean…..Tachibana Kanata !”

And she is convinced and begins to move in earnest. To become the new student council president. And to find the person who was his former teacher and partner.

For example, the friendly junior

“The sports festival was a lot of fun.”

She was in the heat of a sports festival, chatting and laughing under the fire with her classmates. But there are a lot of thoughts caught in her mind.

“Hisui was also flustered. Seriously, you’re so immature…..Senpai.”

Here is one more person who knows his identity. She honestly couldn’t help but look forward to what would happen to the senior she respected from now on.

But she has made up her mind. She is determined to be on Senpai’s side. Hopefully, with Hisui.

And meanwhile……the other sister and brother.

“……”

“Are you frustrated? Hey, are you frustrated, Hisui?”

“Don’t talk to me while grinning, Sis ! Tch, it’s been a long time since I’ve lost so beautifully ! Damn it…more importantly, was it okay to go home without permission? ”

“Don’t worry. Last year we didn’t do roll calls or anything like that, but when the time came, the teacher just gave us instructions to go home.”

The two of them are going home on their own, with no intention of joining in the party. They treasure their time together.

“But what about him?”

“Father wouldn’t be home today. I heard he’s been out drinking with his subordinates lately.”

“That’s the way he is.”

“It was a good thing I told him not to come to the sports festival. If he comes, it would not be a sports festival anymore.”

The two of them didn’t know what would happen if the leader of an anti-social organization showed up at a school event called the sports festival. That’s why the two desperately persuaded their own father last night to stop the tragedy.

“Anyway, is there someone named Shiina in your class, Sis?”

“!? H-how do you know, Hisui?”

“…..Well.”

“T-tell me ! What did that asshole do to you !?”

“He ain’t done nothing to me yet. Not yet…….”

Hisui managed to deceive the topic by thinking that it was a little premature. At the very least, he still wasn’t sure if that senior was on his side, so in fact, he couldn’t easily approach him.

(I should ask that stupid Natsu a little more. Otherwise, we’re going to be in a lot of trouble.)

Hisui, prepared to do so, turns to her sister and asks her about the topic.

“More importantly, how do you refuse?”

“…….I’m thinking about it.”

“Don’t worry. If it comes down to it, I’ll break in and blast them and that silly old man who misunderstood.”

“……Thanks.”

“Hmm.Would you like to board from this side? If they know there’s someone like me, they’ll think twice about you.”

“……That’s a bit much.”

Hisui’s heart tightens when she sees her older sister’s expression clouded over. The Yukihana siblings also have an unavoidably terrible problem.

After leaving the darkness, I approached the campfire and joined my own classmates. I plan to have a chat with my classmates now. And I promised to meet up with Kanata afterwards.

I had been regretting it for a long time. The time I wasted. I had failed to be there for my brother.

But I’m sure it wasn’t in vain. Because now, I can see some light on his face.

(……Fufu.)

I step away from the crowd and look at the gallery of photos stored on my phone. I have a number of photos in my Photos app, but I keep them neatly organized so that I don’t get lost in the ones I want to see.

[Class[, [Student Council], [Archery Club]. and so on. There are albums with various names, but I scroll through them to the bottom.

The name of the album is…… [Family].

I tap there and add the photo I just took. Then I swipe my finger across the album to look at the new photos.

“I’m really not sure if we’re similar.”

Of course we’re not blood related, but I still want to find a connection somewhere. I looked at the album gallery with this thought in mind.

“He looks cute when he’s eating dessert. Why can’t he be honest all the time?”

In the photo is a picture of him that I secretly took when we went to a sweets buffet the other day. He’s tucking into a strawberry cake. I love the little bit of cream on his cheek.

“I mean, it’s all strawberry sweets. He really likes strawberries.”

I had noticed. He usually doesn’t have any likes or dislikes, and I didn’t know what his favorite food was. However, he often bought strawberry desserts and ate them. So he must like strawberries. He was eating them deliciously at the restaurant the other day and I couldn’t resist taking a sneaky picture of him. Or rather, for some reason, Kanata only ate sweets related to strawberries.

“But I could have taken a better picture.”

I set the two-shot I had just taken on my phone’s home screen. Then I looked at the image and smiled. Finally, I was getting to know my brother. He was left behind in the picture, his face stiffening from the sudden action, but I would make an effort to relax his face in the future.

“Thank you, mom, I’m okay now.”

I have been tied to my late mother and wounded brother for a long time, but I think I can finally walk forward. What memories will I make from now on? My head is full of them. I have a lot of problems I don’t want to think about, like studying for exams, but I feel like I can do more now.

“It’s about time, let’s go over there.”

And so I start walking. I go to my brother who is waiting for me.

What shall I tell him? What kind of face should I make? My heart is filled with these thoughts. For now, I’m going to make an effort to be honest. I’m sure he’s also thinking something like that.

Anyway, let’s go as far as I can. Yes, until I reach far away.

Chapter 4 Sibling’s Bond Complete