Chapter 34

〈 Chapter 34 〉 The lion to its cub

* * *

He takes his place in front of a shabby commercial building where there are few passersby.

“……”

People can be seen walking down the street.

Occasional glances are cast in my direction, but since my face is well covered, those glances do not last long.

It was quite fortunate.

“……”

My life has always been one of waiting.

I could do nothing on my own.

I always needed someone's help.

Waiting for someone, and waiting again.

Thus, waiting was a very natural thing for me.

It had always been that way.

But everything changes.

I do, and the things around me.

If there is a slight problem, it might be that the change in my case was a bit drastic.

Then, has something changed now?

Unfortunately, it's hard to agree with that right now.

I have changed, but at the same time, I am still me.

I am not afraid of change.

I just needed a little time.

“Haa……”

Watching the white breath I exhale,

I wait for someone again.

Endlessly, endlessly.

“Sis!”

How long have I been waiting?

A familiar voice reaches my ears.

Perhaps because we are outside, or because I have heard it many times, the sound of "sis" now feels subtly pleasant.

It seems the cold has invaded my brain.

It didn't take my sister long to get to where I am.

As far as I know, the distance from here to school is quite far...

Perhaps she moved quickly as soon as she saw the message.

“...Why did you send that message? You scared me.”

Finally, my sister, who seems both angry and relieved, is breathing heavily.

Despite the weather, the sweat on her forehead suggests she ran.

“Yeah? Mom said someone is coming to look at the house and she wants me to go out for a bit.”

“I know, I talked to Mom.”

The fact that she even talked to her seems to indicate she was really surprised.

After all, upon reflection, the way I phrased it could easily be misunderstood.

Perhaps because of this, my sister spoke in a tone quite different from her usual one.

“Don’t say weird things. Why didn’t you just go to a PC room? You like games, don’t you?”

Ouch. That hits a nerve.

If I said something strange again, who knows what kind of snowball might roll like before, so I told the truth.

“...I can’t go in.”

“What?”

My sister’s brows furrowed slightly.

It was a look I had never seen before.

“Then why didn’t you go to a café? Cafés have windows, so you can see outside clearly.”

“I... I’ve never been to such places...”

My sister looked at me with a mix of exasperation and sighed deeply.

“We’re in trouble, our sis.”

“...I’m just not used to it yet.”

It’s true.

New champions are unfamiliar at first, but after a few matches and some practice, you get used to them, right?

It will be the same for me.

I just need time.

“Yeah, yeah. That’s what you think.”

Of course, my sister didn’t believe me at all.

Given the pitiful state I’ve shown, it’s natural for her to doubt me.

‘I don’t want to play with bad players either.’

You encounter such people in games.

They are clearly in the same tier as you, yet they perform poorly when playing with you.

As a person, I naturally don’t like it when such people are on my team.

My sister’s distrust of me can be seen in the same context.

“Anyway, if this happens, Mom’s plan will be for nothing.”

“...What do you mean?”

“Do you really think Mom would kick you out? She’s probably trying to foster some independence in you.”

“Really?”

“I haven’t heard it directly from Mom, but that’s my guess. Usually, Mom is so overprotective of you; it doesn’t make sense to just kick you out like this. It’s ridiculous.”

Now that I think about it, it does seem that way...

While it’s just a guess, the hypothesis itself is quite convincing.

Why, they say a lion drops its cubs from a cliff to make them strong.

Of course, it’s a baseless story, but it’s just a metaphor.

“Let’s go somewhere. Oh, look at your face. It’s like ice.”

“Eek!”

When my sister’s hand touched my face, I involuntarily let out a scream.

My sister, who didn’t expect such a baby bird-like scream from me, looked startled.

“S... Sorry?”

After a moment of confusion, my sister’s chosen words were an apology.

“No, it’s okay. I was just surprised.”

“Then let’s go.”

Just as my sister was about to lead the way,

“Huh?”

Her brows furrowed as her gaze dropped.

“Why?”

“Sis, is that my boot?”

“Oh... it was yours? I didn’t know what shoes I had, so I just put them on.”

“...I haven’t even worn them yet.”

Her voice is cold.

It’s not just a feeling.

“No, it’s not that I’m angry because you wore my shoes without permission. I’m not that petty, but even so, using someone else’s things without asking, even between siblings, is a line that should be respected, don’t you think? Of course, I’m not angry. I’m not a petty person. I was just surprised. Phew, now that I look at them, they’re definitely yours. You should wear your own. Who would say you don’t look good in them? They suit you so well. How can you be so pretty? I’m jealous.”

My sister, who always considers my feelings, is giving off a vibe I’ve never seen before.

“...Sorry.”

Instinct tells me.

In this situation, it’s best to just say sorry.

It’s like when your allied tower is repeatedly dived by the enemy jungler, and you quietly type 3 2 1 in the chat.

The difference is that if the allied tower leaves, it’s just one game lost, but now, the consequences are hard to predict.

“Next time, ask first. Got it? You surprised me.”

She’s smiling, but it’s not a real smile.

It’s scary.

For the first time, I feel scared of my sister.

“Yeah, yeah. Got it.”

“Then let’s go. There’s a café we often go to. The egg tart there is really good.”

I chased after my sister, who seemed like a baby bird, to make sure I didn’t lose her.

Somehow, I feel like I’ve become the younger sister...

‘Well.’

Strictly speaking, my sister is much more experienced in social life than I am.

They say there’s no age in learning. It means there’s no need to be ashamed.

‘...Of course, that’s when it’s up to me.’

The dignity of being an older brother or a senior is gone.

Or perhaps it was never there to begin with, but it feels like it’s gone.

The café my sister headed to was a small one, similar in size to the one I had seen before.

It seems that large franchise cafés are generally big, so this one is considerate of people who are uncomfortable with crowds.

“What do you want to drink?”

“Anything. I don’t know what’s what.”

“Okay? Hmm... coffee? Or a smoothie or juice?”

“Coffee.”

In the past, I couldn’t even think of drinking caffeine, but recently, coffee has become my favorite.

Usually, it’s canned coffee, but it’s perfect for all-night gaming sessions.

“Sweet?”

“Yeah.”

I don’t usually drink sweet drinks.

Or rather, it’s more accurate to say that I couldn’t access them because of my mother.

But recently, I’ve gained some freedom in what I eat, and ordering snacks and drinks I wanted to try in the past has become another hobby of mine.

In any case, the first time I tasted canned coffee, I was amazed.

That’s when I realized I quite like sweet drinks.

“Cold or hot?”

“Hot.”

Usually, I drink canned coffee cold, but the situation is different now.

“One hot white chocolate mocha and one iced Americano, and two egg tarts, please.”

After a simple Q&A, my sister placed the order and received a vibrating bell.

“The coffee will be ready when this rings, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. How did you know?”

“I saw it in a drama.”

Although I’ve lived as a shut-in for decades, it doesn’t mean I’m completely cut off from the world.

I lack social skills, but not common sense.

“True. That makes sense.”

My sister laughed lightly, agreeing.

She already knows I’m an avid drama watcher.

As we chatted about trivial things, the bell rang after just a few minutes.

Vroom—

“Ah.”

My sister, who was about to get up with the bell, had a mischievous look on her face.

I have a bad feeling.

“Do you want to get it, sis?”

* * *